A Savior for Hire
by snowsaysitsporn
Summary: As Zelena's terror ends, Emma makes a shocking confession, leading to her dealing with the roller-coaster ride that is a Regina Mills. Will the women choose each other in the end or will they do what is "right?" Warning: Het ships in early chapters. Heavy angst.
1. The Ropes

**Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Disney, ABC, Once Upon a Time, or the cast/characters of.**

_Chapter 1: The Ropes_

Emma pushes her sword back into its sheath and stands up from her crouching position, sweat beading on her forehead. This town has been in shambles since the Wicked Witch decided to show up. Whatever it is she has up her sleeve, Emma wishes she'd get it over with so they can deal with the aftermath instead of this daily occurrence that seems to be occupying everyone's time.

"Is she gone?"

"Yeah, I think so," David says, moving on in front of her to check the other rooms, ever the protector. "I don't think she took anything, but I'm sure whatever it is she's after, she'll use Gold to get it eventually."

She sighs and moves a blonde curl away from her face.

"I don't know how much longer we can hold Zelena off. The baby is coming any day now and I'm afraid she's out for blood… and it's apparently not ours, either."

David nods a bit uneasily, unable to find the words to say to comfort either of them right now.

"Anyway, you should get back to Mary Margaret and Henry," Emma sighs, looking around the shop as they head towards the back door.

"Where are you going?"

"Regina told me to meet her at the tombs about an hour ago. She's not going to be happy I'm so late. Just, uh… let me know if anything gets out of hand, okay?"

She turns to leave, but David puts a hand on his daughter's shoulder. Having been privy to the Evil Queen's past, he's a bit hesitant to just let his daughter take off into the woods with her alone.

"Emma, be careful."

"You know I will. Besides, what is she going to do? Turn me into a frog?"

"No. That's not what I mean. I mean—Regina, your mother, and I… we're from the other realm. We know what she's capable of. We have no way to know for sure if she's changed for good. This curse could be something she's done. Or even something she and Zelena schemed up. We just don't know."

Emma smiles softly, feeling deep down that Regina has truly changed, but not wanting to get into this conversation right now, she nods and adds "I'll be sure to keep my guard up."

**_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._**

In the tombs, Regina is making up a potion to protect Henry and his memories from anything Zelena might throw at them. If things are going to get crazy, she wants the peace of mind that Henry will be able to make it out okay and, hopefully, with his memories intact. She couldn't bear to go through what she has been through the past few weeks ever again, with him casually calling her "Madame Mayor," then rushing off to be with Emma. Quickly snapped from her thoughts, she jumps when she hears the heavy wooden door slide open.

"Miss Swan. You startled me."

She goes back to her potion, almost as if Emma's not even in the room. She does have that special way of letting her company know just how little she notices their presence- something Emma has grown begrudgingly accustomed to.

Shoving her hands into her back pockets, she walks over to Regina, peering over the brunette's shoulder.

"What's going on here?"

"A potion," she answers, nonchalantly.

"Well, that I could tell," Emma scoffs, rolling her eyes. "But for what?"

"Henry."

She rushes back over to her, putting her hands up as if to stop her. "Whoa, whoa… what do you mean 'for Henry?' I don't want him involved in this. No magic on my son."

"_Our_ son. And he is already involved with this—thanks to your _boyfriend_," she says before adding a pinch of some sort of ash to the vial, making it bubble up before settling into a tiny crystal-like formation at the bottom of the glass tube. She holds it up to her dark eyes, observing it proudly.

"My wha—?" She shakes her head, but notes the tone in Regina's voice. "Anyway, I know he's involved. I just—I just didn't want him to be. I'd almost prefer him not having his memories back so he wouldn't be aware of all this so when this is over we can just go back to normal," Emma says, her voice trailing off, as she once again walks around the cold, dark room.

Regina drops the stone into her hand, clutching it tightly to her chest, before placing it into a tiny velvet bag and cinching the string.

She then turns to face the permanently-disheveled-looking blonde. "Back to normal?"

Emma raises her eyebrows and shoots a glance her way. "Yes, normal. As in back to our very _normal_ lives in New York."

Regina opens her mouth to speak, but then purses her lips, forcing her mouth into a fake smile. She knows now is not the time or place to have this particular discussion.

"Well, when this stone is with Henry, Zelena won't be able to touch him or his memories. She wants to destroy what I care about most. And I won't let her."

Emma notices Regina's very much in her own head today— even more so than usual.

"Regina, are you okay?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?" She asks; her expression famously unchanging.

"You just seem a little distracted, that's all."

Her mind suddenly flashes back to earlier in the day and her hallway encounter with Robin. She doesn't know what has changed so suddenly within her to cause her to be so open with him. It frightens and excites her all at once. But today, she has more important things to worry about. She takes a deep breath and turns to face her protégé.

"No," she drags. "I am fine. Absolutely fine."

Emma raises her eyebrows in disbelief. She, of course, knows Regina is lying, but doesn't say a word. For some strange reason, and despite their ongoing feud, Emma has always felt some sort of special connection with Regina… she just can't put her finger on why.

"Shall we?" Regina asks coolly, forcing the large stone slab away with a flick of her wrist.

Emma just nods and follows her down the stairs and into an even colder, darker part of the tomb.

"I didn't think this place could get any creepier," she says, looking around. "I thought perhaps glowing, beating hearts in boxes was as strange as your sorcery got."

"You'd be surprised, Miss Swan, at how far my past reaches and how dark it truly is," Regina sighs, a slight disappointment in her voice, before stopping and placing her hands against the damp wall. She waits, then side-eyes Emma, motioning for her to follow suit.

Catching the hint, Emma slips her gloves off and pushes them into her pockets before standing beside the brunette, mimicking her actions. Regina closes her eyes and exhales, bracing herself with her feet.

The blonde attempts to do the same, but, after a moment, cracks one eye open to look over at her mentor. "Uh, Regina?"

"Yes, Miss Swan?" She calls, agitation apparent in her husky voice.

"What the hell are we doing?"

"Telekinesis. Relax your entire body and focus only on the wall moving. But be careful. I'm not sure how your… _amateur_… magic might _react_."

Emma rolls her eyes at the condescending remark, but then shuts them again, trying to follow the rules.

**_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._**

Across town, Henry is sitting at Granny's with David when Robin Hood walks in. He nods and smiles at the young boy, aware of what he witnessed earlier, and knowing now that he is now making the connections.

"What's the deal with Robin Hood, huh?" David asks, nudging his grandson's elbow.

"Oh, nothing. I just caught him kissing my mom earlier."

David nearly chokes on his food. "Emma?!"

"What? No! Regina."

David's expression doesn't change. He may be even more surprised at that than he would be if it had actually been Emma.

He shrugs and takes a sip of his coffee. "Well, that's, uh, interesting?"

"Definitely. It's so unlike her to… well… love, you know? She was, after all, the Evil Queen."

"That she was," David trails, suddenly feeling worried for Emma all over again. What if something snapped in Regina all of a sudden? She's out in the middle of nowhere with his daughter. She could do anything to her and no one would know for hours. He manages to shake the thought from his head and turns his attention back to the young boy sitting beside him at the bar.

"Ice cream?"

"You know it!"

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! This is my first attempt at an SQ fanfiction! I am hoping to have a chapter a week up. Perhaps more! Reviews and suggestions, as always, are greatly appreciated!**


	2. Wicked Ways

**Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Disney, ABC, Once Upon a Time, or the cast/characters of.**

**Special thanks to Sailor Sayuri for my very first SQ fic review! Some have wondered why Henry already has his memories back even though, in this story, Zelena is still around. Well… I would say something to the effect of "you'll find out soon enough," but, really, it just fit in better with where I plan to take the story. Also- I am in the market for a beta reader. If you know someone or if you would like to help out, just give me a shout!**

**J**** Thanks for reading!**

* * *

_Chapter 2: Wicked Ways_

* * *

At the diner, Henry keeps sneaking glances at Robin and Roland, who are sitting behind them in the corner booth, smiling and talking over their meal.

"We could go over, say hi, if you want," David offers, following the youngster's eyes.

"What? Oh. No, that's really okay."

"Something bothering you, kid?"

Henry shrugs a bit and continues to work on his ice cream. After a few moments of silence, he finally answers. "I just wonder if everything is going to change with us now, you know? Me, mom, and Emma?"

David takes a deep breath, thinking about exactly what to say to him. "Well, honestly, it probably will if things work out between your Mom and Robin, but it could only make things better, right? Hey, at least you can have a little brother," he adds, trying to make light of the situation. He notices Henry doesn't seem to warm to the idea at all.

"It's just when things were getting sorta okay with my family, this happens," he motions towards Robin, who, unbeknownst to Henry, has made his way up behind him.

"Hello there, young Henry," he smiles before taking the seat beside him.

He turns slowly, figuring he must have overheard him. Over Henry's head, David smiles apologetically.

"I get the nagging suspicion you and I may need to have a talk. A man-to-man, no?" Robin grins, throwing a wink towards David, before turning his attention back to Henry.

Roland squeezes in between the two of them, prompting his father to ruffle his hair and pull him up into his lap. Henry turns his focuses intently on his ice cream, really wishing he could just disappear right now.

"Nope. We're good. I'm fine." He waits a few seconds in silence, then slides off the back of the seat. His eyes search the diner frantically before, thankfully, landing on a familiar figure outside. "I'll be out talking to Archie," he calls to David as he wraps his coat and scarf around himself.

The two men watch him go, the bell ringing loudly as the door swings open and then shut. Robin sighs and plops Roland down on the now-empty seat. He happily takes over where Henry left off on the sticky treat in front of him.

"I apologize, your majesty. I meant nothing malicious by my words."

"I know that. No worries, huh? I'm sure he'll come around eventually. And here, I'm just David."

Robin nods. "David."

"Well, I suppose I better go check on my grandson." He places a bill down on the counter and gestures towards Robin and Roland before walking out of the diner to catch up with Henry.

"David's right, you know? About Henry. I'm sure he'll get used to the idea sooner than later," Ruby grins, cleaning up after the two guys. "Regina was all he had for the longest time, and then Emma came. He sort of felt everything was, I don't know, complete? Plus, he's really protective of his mom, much like Emma."

Robin's jaw sets. He's apparently not the only one who has noticed the young, pretty sheriff's seemingly-misplaced loyalty to Regina.

"Yes, it would appear that she's quite the prize in this realm."

Ruby eyes him suspiciously, but then shrugs it off. "Yeah, no. It's not like she's the Evil Queen or anything," she laughs, turning back to her waitressing duties.

Robin puts his own money down on the counter and picks Roland up. "We've got work to do, my boy."

**_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._**

"You're not focusing, Miss Swan!"

"Shh! I'm trying. If you'd stop treating me like a child I might be—"

They both stop what they are doing and look up when they hear faint rumbling over-head.

"Shit. Did I do that?" Emma asks, backing away from the wall and putting her hands up as if to claim innocence.

"Well, it certainly wasn't me." Regina eyes the tomb's ceiling wearily. "It sounded pretty distant, though. It's probably nothing."

Emma nods in agreement before turning her attention back to the task at hand. "Am I ever going to get the hang of this? Don't you think this seems like a pretty big step. I haven't even been doing magic that long and I—"

"Miss Swan! Enough. If you doubt yourself, you are never going to accomplish anything. And no, telekinesis is one of the less difficult aspects of magic to conquer."

"Greeeeat," she drags, _"that _makes me feel better."

"I wasn't trying to make you '_feel better'_. I was trying to motivate you to try harder. I've seen what your magic can do. And this? Well, it is nothing compared to that."

"Was that a compliment?"

"No. It was merely an observation."

Emma rolls her eyes. "So what now?"

"We keep going."

Emma nods and follows Regina's lead once again, outstretching her hands towards the wall and closing her eyes.

"You don't have to actually touch the wall. I just want you to get a feel for what you are trying to do."

"Which is?"

Regina sighs and puts her hands down in frustration. "Making this wall move with your mind, Miss Swan. Or whatever it is you have in that pretty little blonde head of yours," she shoots back, sarcastically.

"You think I'm pretty?"

"No. Can we please continue?"

"Okay, got it. I'm moving the wall. To where? And why?" She drops her hands in defeat. "And is there even anything behind it? I mean—"

She stops rambling when she feels Regina's body pressed into the back of hers. Her breath catches in her throat and she prays to the gods that the brunette didn't pick up on it. She involuntarily shivers when Regina begins talking mere inches from her ear.

"Focus."

_Really fucking hard to do with your entire perfect body against me._

"Visualize. Be patient. Relax," Regina whispers.

_Nope. No. Not happening. Not like this._

"No offense, Regina, but I think I can handle this without the weird pep talk, okay?" She steps away from her and suddenly misses the contact.

She takes a deep, steadying breath before attempting to focus all she has on the wall.

"Couldn't we have started with, I don't know, a pebble or something?"

Regina rolls her eyes, getting angry. "NOW!"

Emma jumps, and when she does, the tomb begins to shake, dust and rocks falling rapidly from the ceiling.

"Christ! Come on!" Emma grabs Regina's wrist and begins to pull her towards the stairs. Forever in heels, Regina trips and falls, pulling Emma down with her.

"Always in those fucking shoes!" Emma yells, standing to brush the dirt off of her palms.

The rumbling from the gut of the tomb grows louder. She reaches down to pull Regina up, but stops when she notices the face she is making. She looks to be in tons of pain. And she certainly isn't making much effort in the way of getting up on her own.

Emma mumbles something that sounds an awful like "not again" under her breath, then bends down, scooping Regina up into her arms, quite easily. Regina looks at her, brown eyes widened.

_How?_

"Weight-training," Emma offers, as if reading her mind.

Once on ground level, Regina flicks her wrist and the shaking stops. Emma puts her down gingerly onto one of the stone benches against the wall, careful not to hit her ankle.

"Really?! You couldn't have just done that while we were down there, you know, about to be crushed to death?"

Regina shoots her a hateful look. "Considering I was jerked around, thrown to the ground, then lugged out by a brute, no, I don't suppose I had an opportunity to do so."

Before Emma can develop a comeback, her phone begins to ring.

"David."

Regina's lip curls, unable to hide her disdain for the man in her current state of discomfort.

"Yeah?"

"Emma. I need you to get to the square as fast as you can. It's Zelena. She's back."

"I'm on my way! Get Henry somewhere safe!"

She hangs up the phone and looks towards Regina, who now has fear written all across her face.

"Zelena."

Emma nods. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"What? I am not staying here! My son is in danger and I am the only one who can go up against my sister."

"No!"

"Excuse me?!"

"Regina, for fuck's sake. We don't have time to bicker right now. You're hurt and you can barely move. You're not going! I can handle this. Trust me."

She bends down and reaches into Regina's coat pocket, looking for the small bag containing the protection stone.

Regina, always being able to one-up her, takes the opportunity to grab her wrist. "Not without me."

The desperation in her eyes almost kills Emma.

"Fine." She pulls the brunette up and hooks her arm around her neck, walking her swiftly to the car. "But you're staying in the car."

It's only a matter of minutes before they're screeching to a halt where everything is going down. Emma, without thinking, jumps out of the car and heads towards the crowd that has gathered to watch the occurrence. She spots David who has Henry behind him protectively and his sword drawn.

_Damnit! The stone!_

Her eyes flash back towards the car before they land on Zelena, who is making her way across the road towards Henry and David. Needing to act fast, Emma begins in her direction to cut her off.

"Hey!"

The green face flicks around, eyes lighting up when she sees the confident blonde strutting closer to her.

"Ah, yes. The savior. You finally made it. I've been waiting for you."

Noticing Zelena heading for Emma, Regina opens the car door and does her best to get out. Once she manages to stand, she leans against the car, her eyes desperately searching for Henry. She clutches the small stone in her pocket.

"For me?" Emma can't hide the shock in her voice and the confused expression she's sure has betrayed her cool demeanor.

"Of course, for you. Although I should be thanking you for breaking this inferior little curse my evil sister put upon all these…" she stops and looks around in apparent disgust "…_interesting_ people."

"Cut the crap, greenie. What do you want with me?"

Zelena scoffs. "Hasty, aren't we? You'll find out soon enough exactly what it is I want from you. As for the rest of you…"

The crowd gasps in horror as she waves her hand around, peering at them.

"You'll get what's coming to you as well. But first, I—"

"Enough, Zelena!"

Emma looks around upon hearing Regina's voice. The crowd parts and she hobbles through, a flame glowing in her hand. "That is… quite enough."

"Regina, you're hurt. You shouldn't—"

Emma takes a step towards her, but Zelena simply flicks her out of the way, sending her crashing into a nearby hydrant. She feels the middle of her back crack against the hard object, her breath being knocked out of her body. She groans and tries to steady her vision, now foggy by the impact.

"Emma!" Henry runs over to her and kneels down; trying to make sure she's okay.

"Kid, you alright?"

He nods and shows Emma the tiny bag scrunched up in his hand. She smiles.

"She did it," she grunts, before almost blacking out from the pain in her back and head.

"Emma! You have to get up! She's going to hurt mom if you don't. You're the-"

"I'm the savior, yeah, yeah. Got it." She forces herself to sit up, with Henry's help. "I guess we can't let that happen, can we?"

He shakes his head, seriously. "No. You have to do something. Now!"

She somehow makes it to her feet and looks over the crowd, then up some more.

"What the—"

Her eyes flash back down to see Regina on the road, her hands raised in defense.

Zelena's cackle cracks in the air as she moves her hand, willing the car in the air to follow the motion.

"This? Is not good."

Regina tries her best to conjure up something, anything, to stop Zelena, but she can't. The pain coupled with her exertion throughout the morning has taken everything out of her. She lowers her hand and sighs. At least Henry has the stone and, as long as he does, he'll be okay. That's all that matters.

"Giving up so easily, sis?

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

"No, not exactly. But I'm no fool. I'll take what's being given to me. First, I'll break your body, then I'll break your precious heart," she says, sarcastically, as she uses her other hand to conjure up the glowing organ. She squeezes it tightly, causing Regina to twist in pain. She smirks, and then drops her left hand. With that, the car comes flying down from the air towards Regina's crumpled form.

She closes her eyes and prepares herself for imminent death.

A few seconds pass before she hears the crowd's collective intake of air.

"It's Emma!" Someone in the crowd yells out, motioning for people to look towards the sidewalk.

Regina's eyes fly open and make their way towards the blonde and her young companion. Emma's hands are out in front of her, shaking. She looks up and notices the car is inches from her head. She gulps and crawls away from it backwards.

With Regina out of harm's way (for the time being), Emma drops the car down to the ground slowly, and then rushes to the injured woman.

"Are you alright?"

Regina doesn't answer, but instead, looks up at Emma with something resembling fondness gracing her usually-rigid features. "You did it."

She smirks. "Yeah, of course I did."

"If your public display of affection is over, I'd like to get back to the task at hand," Zelena spits, moving towards the two women.

David jumps in between them and points his sword into Zelena's chest. She looks down, unimpressed, then laughs and tosses him to the side, much like she had done with his daughter just moments before.

"Now… to get what I came for, to take away your happy ending."

Regina looks over towards Henry. Although she knows he has the stone, she can't stop herself from being worried. "Run, Henry!"

As he takes off into a full sprint, he runs smack into Robin, who is making his way towards the scene with his bow. "Henry! Here, take Roland inside. You'll be safe there."

Henry grabs the young boy's hand and pulls him into the bed and breakfast, locking the door behind them, and running up towards the window to make sure his parents are okay.

Zelena stops in her tracks. "Henry?!" She giggles. "Oh. You actually thought I was—oh, dear no!"

She conjures up the Dark One's dagger and toys with it between her fingers. "The savior," she whispers.

Emma's eyes flash to Regina's before settling onto Gold, who is making his way towards her, his eyes dark and criminal.

She stands up and over Regina, protectively; ready to kill if she must.

"Don't fight it, dearie. You'll only make it worse for the both of us."

"You're not going to touch her, you hear me?!" Emma balls her hands into fists and prepares to pounce.

"It's not her I came for," he slithers, "it's you."

Within a flash, Emma is being pulled away, powerless, from Regina.

"Emma!"

"I told you all this time, my darling little sister, that I would destroy your happy ending."

Regina looks at her, confused. She jumps when she feels strong arms pull her to her feet. She turns to see Robin, holding her up. Her eyes immediately go back to Emma, who is being held and muffled by Gold. She sees the terrified look in her emerald eyes and struggles against Robin to be released, to help her.

Zelena scoffs, watching the demonstration. "Even without your heart, you're still a sucker."

"What do you want with Emma? My son is what I care about most. Let her go," she tries, knowing that there is nothing Zelena can do to hurt Henry.

"Your son? You thought I wanted that brat? No, love. I prefer the one who might prove useful to me some day. Light magic, is, after all, the one thing that can break you." She laughs. "Perhaps it is her heart I will claim next and have her finish you off for me. Oh, the sweet irony!"

Regina grits her teeth, a million emotions coursing through her pulsing veins.

Zelena motions for Gold to begin taking Emma away and turns back to Regina one last time, inching closer and closer to her as she speaks. "No, sis. I want to make sure you have no chance at happiness. I will rip your future… _your savior_… away from you right before your eyes."

She stops mere inches away from her face and whispers wickedly, "I will ruin her."

With a flourish of a green hand, the three of them disappear.


	3. Two Hearts

**A/N- So… this chapter is a bit longer than the others. I had originally planned to break it down into two, but since I was finished with them both, I decided to upload them as one. It's really late as I'm proof-reading, so take it easy on me! ;)**

**As always, feedback is greatly appreciated! Thank you to those who have offered kind words so far!**

**Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Disney, ABC, Once Upon a Time, or the cast/characters of.**

"Emma," Regina murmurs, finally losing her resolve.

She turns in Robin's arms and lets him hold her. He drops his bow and wraps his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "It's alright. You're okay," he whispers.

"Mom!"

"Henry?!"

She pulls away from Robin's embrace and kneels down to catch her son, who is running at her at full speed. Pushing his hair away from his face, her eyes frantically inspect him for any sign of injury.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Emma. We have to do something. She can't lose her heart!"

"I know we do. I know. We'll figure something out." The crack in her voice betrays her forced calm demeanor.

"I'm going after her," David sounds. "Regina, you and Henry go be with Mary Margaret. Robin, come with me."

The two men nod towards each other before Robin retrieves his bow from the ground. He turns back to Regina one last time.

"Watch over Roland for me?"

Regina nods. "Of course."

He plants a small kiss on her lips and takes off towards David. "Be careful," she calls out, more out of obligation than of actual concern. The realization of that fact hits her like a ton of bricks. She shakes her head. This is not the time.

Henry helps his mother stand up straight and hobble over to a nearby bench. "Here. I'll go get Roland. I left him at the B&amp;B."

"Okay," she whispers. She doesn't know what else to say, what else to do. She feels so powerless, so weak right now. Over the last few days, Emma has been right by her side and now, well… now she just feels empty and alone. Even without her heart, she knows something is missing.

Like her happy ending had been ripped away. _Right before her eyes._

She shakes her head. _No_. That's not possible. It's Emma, the pain in her neck, the annoying brute, the _daughter_ of her adversary, the… the savior. _Her_ savior.

She takes a few steadying breaths before surveying the damage to her ankle. It's already swollen and bluish-purple bruises are forming. She waves her hand over it.

Nothing.

She closes her eyes and, once again, breathes in and out slowly. Wave.

Nothing.

If Emma were here right now, she would be making some sort of smart remark about how this is a prime example why Regina shouldn't walk around in heels every day anyway.

"Oh, Emma. Why did you do this to me?" She says in a low, discouraged voice.

"What? Emma did that to you? Why? How?"

Regina looks up when she sees her son and Roland standing beside her, also eyeballing her twisted, discolored ankle.

She clears her throat. "No, sweetie. Emma didn't do this to me. We were in the tombs practicing magic and something went awry and I—I fell," she says as she remembers Emma lifting her into her arms. The hold had been firm, yet so gentle, as though she were made of glass and any wrong move would have shattered her. She remembered wrapping her arms around Emma's neck and trying her best to feign disgust in being so close to the woman.

What was going on in her head right now? What had suddenly changed to make her feel this way towards Miss Swan? Since her arrival in Storybrooke, all she had managed to do was to pull her son away from her and get on her nerves and under her skin just by existing. If nothing else, she should hate her by mere association.

_Snow._

"Come, Henry, Roland. We need to get to the hospital."

Henry nods, watching his mother take Roland's hand. He feels a pang of jealousy go through his chest, but quickly dismisses it, knowing he should be worried more about Emma right now.

Regina makes her way, very slowly, to Emma's car and cringes when the driver's side door creaks open. She huffs, but slides into the driver's seat anyway.

"Can you drive with your ankle messed up?"

"Yes, Henry. I should be fine. I'll have Dr. Whale look at it when we get to the hospital if that makes you feel better."

He nods and gets Roland buckled into the backseat before taking the front beside his mom.

"Is she going to be okay?"

She doesn't even look towards him. She doesn't want to lie to her son and, right now, she really doesn't know what will happen to Emma. Seeing the pain in his mother's face, he tries a different approach.

"Aren't you going to help her?"

Her head darts around quickly, looking at him across the seat. "I—I want to help her, I do. I mean, I will. Yes, of course. But my ankle… I don't know how much help I will be."

He nods as though he understands, although the meaning behind her explanation carries a more mature connotation than what the youngster realizes.

She puts the car into drive and heads down the road towards the hospital.

"Why would Zelena take Emma? I know she's the savior, but you and Emma have never really gotten along, you know?"

Regina realizes Henry hadn't been out at the square when Zelena gave her twisted clarification for stealing Emma away. She's quietly thankful for that. She has no idea how she would even begin to explain that to her son.

"Well, Emma has quite a powerful form of magic- one which neither Zelena nor I possess."

"Light magic. A hero's magic."

She grimaces a bit at that word (and also about lying to her son) before answering a simple "yes."

As they pull into the hospital parking lot, her cell phone vibrates in her pocket.

David.

"Hello," she quickly answers, hoping they've discovered something about Emma.

"Regina, it's Robin. I wanted to make sure you and the boys were alright."

"Yes. Yes, we're fine. Thank you. Any news on Zelena's whereabouts?"

"No. Not yet. We're at her storm cellar, but, so far, no clues have surfaced. We're heading into the woods now."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, my queen. I will save your heart. You will have your happy ending. This, I vow."

Regina's head spins. _Her _heart? She hadn't even thought about that. In fact, that was the last thing she was worried about saving.

"I appreciate that. Just worry about getting Emma back safely and with her heart. Okay?"

"I will do everything in my power."

"Please do," she sighs as she ends the call.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

_**Somewhere in Storybrooke…**_

"What the hell, Gold? Let me go! I know you don't want to do this. We're family for crying out loud."

Emma struggles against the chair she is tied to in some musty old building.

"I can't," he forces between clenched teeth. His eyes dart across the room to Zelena, who is standing by a window, her silhouette the only thing visible.

Emma lowers her voice. "Look, I know she has the dagger and you have to do what she says, but believe me, if you think a chair and some rope can hold me, you're quite mistaken."

He almost rolls his eyes at her ignorance. In fact, he would have, had he not been under the thumb of the green witch.

"Trust me, my dear, I am fully aware of your, how should I say? Sketchy past? But you won't be leaving that chair. Not any time soon and not unless she," he motions towards the colorful woman "wishes it."

"It will only be a matter of time before they show up here," she finally breaks her silence and turns to face the pair. "When they do, it will be too late. Your heart will be mine and you'll be nothing but a shell of a savior. No one will want you then. Not even _her_."

"I don't know what it is you want with me. I came here to be with Henry, then to break some stupid curse for my family. I'm not a savior. Never wanted to be. I'm no good to you."

"That won't work on me, love. And I think we both know better. What you think you are in that head of yours is no concern to me. What is important, though, is who you are to my sister."

"A pain in the ass?"

"I see her calloused veneer has worked its charm on you as well, but no. While I'm sure she'd deny it until her dying breath, she cares." She stops to lean over the blonde, placing her hands on the arms of the chair. "She cares very deeply about you and your _pure, white_ _heart_."

"So, what are you saying? Regina is out to steal my heart, too?"

She laughs and stands up, nodding her head and clasping her hands together. "How charming and romantic of you."

Emma's brow furls in confusion. "Romantic? Wait… you mean?"

"Mmhm. That's exactly what I mean."

"Regina has… feelings? For me? Why? And how would you know that?"

"Do you not feel the same for her?" She asks, ignoring the question.

"I—I—I…" Emma fumbles, her mouth unable to form an argument at the moment.

"No need for words. You won't need them soon enough."

Zelena's hand hovers over Emma's chest. Gold turns away, unable to witness what is about to happen.

Emma lunges forward when she feels the pressure in her chest along with the blinding pain.

"Fuck," she groans, her breath escaping her body.

The wicked witch grins, her eyes sparkling yellow, as she wraps her cold, bony fingers around Emma's beating heart.

"Zelena, you don't have to do this," Gold finally speaks up. The sight of his only grandson's mother being brought to the brink of death proves to be too much for even him to just stand by and watch idly.

"You shut it or I will make you do it for me, Dark One," she spits. He flinches at the name.

Emma looks up at Zelena and clenches her jaw tight, forcing the pain out of her head. This can't be the way it ends for her. She was just getting to know her parents, just getting to be a real part of Henry's life, just getting closer to…

"Regina."

"What?"

Zelena's eyes follow Emma's. Just as soon as she looks behind her, she's knocked to the side by a burst of flames. Her hand pulls out of Emma's chest, causing her to gasp loudly. The force of the pull nearly knocks her backwards in the chair.

"No!" Regina rushes over to Emma, who is slumped over, breathing heavily.

She looks up into her dark eyes, and, for the first time since encountering the woman, feels absolutely nothing. Realizing what has happened, her eyes dart to the green figure lying on the ground a few feet away from them. She sees her own heart, thumping slowly, glowing red, in the monster's hand.

Regina turns to finish her off, but Zelena holds the organ up for her to see her wrapping her fingers around it slowly.

"You do and it's over."

"Don't," she cries, putting her hands up. The desperation in her voice causes a smirk to form on Zelena's face. She had seen this happen to Daniel and it had destroyed her life. Now, watching Emma's heart being tortured the same way almost kills her right on the spot.

Out of the corner of her eye she sees Emma walking across the room towards Zelena, her head high and her eyes clear.

"Rumpelstiltskin!" she calls, scrambling to her feet.

Emma doesn't flinch, doesn't emote at all. Regina almost has to turn away. She has seen this in people who have no control over their hearts. She saw it with Graham and countless others she had tortured in her dark past. It happened to those who possessed pure hearts- not people like her, whose hearts were already darkened, shriveled, useless parts of their anatomy. She could function as "normal," but didn't feel things as deeply as anyone else. She could never really give herself to someone without it, despite her efforts.

"Emma, watch out," she warns as Gold appears in front of her.

Emma looks down at her right hand, willing the flame to form in it, then her left. Pushing both hands towards Gold's chest, he falls to the floor, unable to move.

Regina's eyes grow wide as she's watching her. It's like something has taken over her body. This magic, this power, seems to come from nowhere, but is bigger and stronger than anything she has ever seen.

Emma shoots a warning glance towards Regina, who obeys and moves out of her warpath. She stops dead in front of Zelena and lowers her voice.

"I think you have something of mine."

Although a bit shaken, Zelena isn't about to give up so easily.

Over the next few moments, the three women have it out- lights, flames, and sparks flying every which way in the cold, dark building. Had he not beheld it himself, Gold would have never believed such powerful magic was possible.

But here was the savior, fulfilling her destiny and saving them all once again, just like he said it would happen.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

David and Robin come running up just in time to see Regina helping Emma out of the building.

Her eyes flash red when she sees them.

"Where the hell were you two?!"

David is shocked by her tone and looks to Robin, whose face seems to be devoid of any emotion.

"We got lost, in the woods."

"She could have been killed! In fact, she was damn near death when I got here."

The two men look over Emma and then down at Regina's ankle. It has been heavily bandaged, but by the look on her face, she's still in severe pain. She motions back towards the rusted tin building.

"You two take care of that. I need to get Emma somewhere safe."

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

When she wakes up, everything is a bit of a blur. She groans and tries to roll over, but stops when she feels the IV in her arm and a warm hand on her forehead. She squeezes her eyes shut a few times to totally clear her sight.

"Mom?"

"I'm here, honey."

Emma sits up in the bed to the best of her ability and looks to the very-pregnant woman by her side.

"You haven't—"

"Nope. Not yet. I slipped away from the delivery ward to make sure you were okay when they told me you were beginning to wake up. Don't get ahead of yourself. Whale said you need to take it easy to keep from aggravating any injuries."

"Injuries? What happened? The last thing I remember was being tied up in some fishy-smelling building."

Mary Margaret gives her a run-through of what happened by the docks and how her heart had been taken out of her body.

"Whoa."

"Yeah, whoa," she says, offering a small laugh.

"What happened then? How am I injured and when can I get out of here?" She begins to fidget with her IV again, earning a reproachful look from her mother.

"Slow down, savior. You have some internal bleeding. They want to keep you a few days to make sure everything is okay."

"Zelena… is she? Did I?"

Mary Margaret just nods. Even when going up against someone she should hate, she can't bring herself to be happy over another human's demise.

"Oh."

They sit in silence for a moment while Emma takes in everything she just learned.

"Regina's okay, too," Mary Margaret finally offers.

Emma shakes her head, wondering how in the world she forgot to ask about her.

"That's good. No injuries?

"Other than her twisted ankle, no."

"Oh, yeah. I think that one might have been my fault. I don't really remember what happened at the docks. I just remember her putting my heart back into my chest once we were out on the boardwalk."

"Yes, she did. She saved you, Emma. Zelena was going to kill you, but she got there just in time. She stopped her."

"With a bum ankle, nonetheless."

Mary Margaret nods. "She came in here, dropped Henry and Roland off with Ruby, had them bandage her ankle, and then raced to find you, mumbling something about 'Charming' being an incapable buffoon."

Emma grows quiet again, desperately trying to wrap her head around everything.

"Where are they, David and Robin? Are they okay, too? I remember them being there."

"Yeah, they're okay," she sighs, trying to skirt the embarrassing issue of them getting turned around in the woods.

Emma sits up on the side of her bed. "Is it okay if I get up? I just want to walk a bit, clear my head."

She nods and helps her to her feet. "Just take it easy. No running off to save anyone's day, okay? I've got to get back to having a baby."

"Yeah. Have fun with that," she winces, finally feeling the pain from her injuries.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

From the hallway, she sees Regina and Robin sitting in the waiting area, holding hands and talking. Emma stops and grabs at her chest, holding onto the IV post so to not collapse to the floor. Regina catches the movement from her peripheral and hurries to her side, holding her up.

"Whale!"

"No, no," she pants. "I'm okay. I just… wow. What the hell was that?"

She rubs her hand over her heart a few times, willing the pain to go away.

"I think you need to get back into the bed."

Emma nods and straightens up. Their eyes meet and suddenly, everything that happened before rushes back to her. Regina watches the realization as though it's in slow-motion.

"Emma?"

"I have…" She pats her hand over her chest and looks down at the floor, trying to find the right words.

"You have what? Does your chest hurt?"

Emma forces a smile and looks towards Robin, then back at Regina.

She takes a deep breath and turns away from Regina, who is watching, confused.

Emma bites her tongue and forces back any cry of pain that might escape her throat and shoves her own hand into her chest.

"That never gets easier, does it?" She groans, turning back around.

Regina's mouth is hanging open in horror.

"Emma Swan! What the hell are you doing?" She demands.

She smiles that lopsided smile of hers and shrugs.

"This one's yours."

Regina's brow crinkles. "What do you mean, 'mine?'"

"When we were at the docks and you and Zelena were fighting, I slipped out of the rope and chair and got it back. I didn't want her or Gold to notice, so I pushed it into my own chest for safe keeping."

Regina's eyes tear up. She hadn't even realized. She was so focused on saving Emma's heart that any concern about her own was completely locked away.

"That's how you had the strength to fight her off? Because of my heart? That's how you conjured both light and dark magic at once? And your internal bleeding. You've had two hearts in your body since I put yours back in," she trails, the weight of it all crashing around her.

Emma shrugs again. "I guess. I don't really know how all of this stuff works yet."

She holds the heart close to her chest from where she just removed it, not offering it back just yet.

"And Regina?"

"Yes, Emma?" The whispering softness of her voice almost causes the younger woman's knees to buckle.

"There was another heart, too."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I was going to take it, but I couldn't risk it, you know?"

Regina eyeballs the heart in Emma's hand. "How did you know which one to take?"

Emma bit her lip as she tried to come up with some logical reason.

_Nothing._

"I just knew."

By this time, after witnessing Emma take her heart out of her chest, Robin had made his way to stand behind Regina, his hands protectively on her shoulders.

"Here," she finally says, her hand outstretched towards the man with the organ in her palm.

Emma's eyes meet his. "I guess this is your job," she laughs awkwardly and a bit sadly before placing it carefully in his hands.

"Thank you, Miss Swan."

"Just part of my job. I am, after all, the savior."

Regina still hasn't moved her eyes from Emma's face. This whole exchange, she has just been staring at her blankly, not really knowing how to react or what to feel.

Robin offers a small laugh and then turns Regina to face him, breaking her contact with Emma.

"Come, darling; let's get your heart back where it belongs."

He begins to walk her away from the blonde. Emma leans against the wall and watches. Although she keeps walking, Regina turns to face Emma just for a moment, her eyes wide and her lips still parted.

Emma offers a pained smile and watches her turn her attention back to Robin.

When she realizes she's not coming back, she turns and begins to make her way back to her empty hospital room.


	4. Sleepless in Storybrooke

**Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Disney, ABC, Once Upon a Time, or the cast/characters of.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and added the story to your favorites and/or follows. You all are amazing! Not gonna lie—I had a hard time writing this chapter for some reason. Hope you like it!**

**Chapter 4: Sleepless in Storybrooke**

Regina stops completely and turns back around, feeling eyes on her once more.

Emma, just before turning the knob for her room, stops-hoping with everything in her that Regina is still in the hallway.

Regina smiles apologetically to Robin before wrapping her hands around his, still holding her heart.

"You know what? Take this back to my place, okay? I'll be there shortly. I'd like to speak with Henry's mother before we go."

Robin nods, albeit a bit uneasily, and watches Regina slip past him, back down the hall.

Emma straightens up when she sees the brunette making her way steadily back towards her, limping slightly. She clears her throat and adjusts her hospital gown to the best of her ability.

"Regina." It comes out more of a statement than anything.

"Emma," the older woman says simply, in a tone Emma is quite sure she's never heard before. She gestures towards the door. "Let's get you back in your room."

Emma groans upon trying to get back into the bed comfortably.

"Oh, let me help."

Regina rushes over to her and puts her arms around her shoulders, helping her scoot into the bed. When the blonde is settled, she reaches down and pulls the blankets up around her.

"Thanks," Emma blushes.

"Of course."

"So…" they both begin, and then laugh awkwardly. It's no secret that there are things that need to be said between them and even more that needs to be clarified.

"You first."

Regina nods and licks her lips. Emma can see she's really thinking about what to say and can't ignore the knot forming in her throat.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Emma questions, incredulously.

"For saving me."

"Me?! You saved my life," Emma scoffs.

"Yes, well. You saved my heart and, ultimately, you were the one who defeated Zelena."

"I couldn't have done it without you," she whispers, never looking up from her hands folded on her lap.

"Emma, your power. It—it's something I've never seen. You're really amazing, you know that? And to think to find my heart while all of this is going on. I just can't believe—"

"That anyone would care enough?"

"Yes," Regina answers quickly, almost surprised at how pointedly the blonde answered. She shakes her head. She figures Emma probably feels the same way, too, never having anyone to sacrifice much for her during her time in the "real world."

"Yeah, well," Emma trails off, unsure how to finish the sentence she just began.

They sit in silence for a few ticks before Regina begins again.

"I wish I could explain what Zelena said out on the square. I—"

Emma shakes her head and offers a small, dismissive laugh. "Regina, don't worry about that, okay? She was just toying with us."

"Yeah. You're probably right."

Emma shrugs and tries desperately to force her heart and mind to quiet down, to let this moment die.

_Die. Death. _

They both almost died earlier. Although what she's feeling is certainly confusing, she can't just let it all end here. What if something would have happened to Regina? Could she live with knowing she never told her how she felt, how she could related so intimately to her, how she always knew what Regina wasn't saying?

No, she couldn't. It's time.

"She may have been toying with you, but I do care, Regina," she clears her throat, willing her voice to become louder, clearer. "I care a lot."

Regina's mouth parts and her eyes widen as she looks over Emma, who has finally lifted her gaze to meet hers. What was she saying? What did she mean? The older woman searches her eyes penetratingly.

Sincerity. Pure, unadulterated truth.

She takes a moment to gather her thoughts. Of course she cares, too. Emma is, after all, the birth mother of her son. And, much to her chagrin, over the last year, she has grown accustomed to the blonde and her _charming_ antics. She may even find them endearing at this point, but _caring? Really caring_? Not possible. What did Regina know about that anyway?

Besides, this was the child of the woman she spent her life hating… the very _female_ child of said person at that. Not that it was a huge issue, but she had never… _explored_… that side of herself. Even if she did, she knows she doesn't deserve someone like Emma Swan. Emma deserved to be with someone who could give every piece of them wholly to her, trust her completely, and allow her to be their savior time after time. She wraps her arms around herself at the realization.

"Emma, I care about you, too."

"You do?" The blonde perks up, her heart pounding in her ears.

"Of course. You're Henry's birth mother and you've come to my aid many times. I don't know where I would be if you hadn't thundered into my town."

"Oh."

Regina smiles. "We're friends now, right, Emma?"

One corner of Emma's lips manages to turn up ever-so-slightly. "What? You know we are."

"I'm sure any other feelings are just a result of the trauma you've been through today. You experienced quite a bit, you know?"

Although Regina's delivery never falters, her chest is aching from an emptiness that goes far beyond the absence of a heart.

Emma furls her brow, thinking about that. Maybe she's right.

Regina nods again, reassuring both Emma and herself of what she just said. She stands from the chair and walks across the room.

Noticing the extended silence and the stiffness of her motion, Emma finally speaks up. "I guess you have a big night planned, with you having your heart back and all." She hopes Regina doesn't notice the sickened and hurt look that overtakes her face.

"Yes, I suppose I might."

Emma looks up, noticing the tone Regina uses. It's almost as if she wants any reason to avoid what they both know is probably in store at 108 Mifflin tonight. Regina stands and moves closer to the door.

"Regina?"

"Yes, Miss Swan?"

Emma sighs. _We're back to that._

"Have a good night. Try not to lose your heart again anytime soon, okay?"

The brunette catches what she thinks is probably a double meaning in Emma's words and it makes her want to die, literally. Does Emma really care for her this way? Does she care about Emma that way? Everything is all so confusing right now. She just needs to sleep on it. Tomorrow will surely provide a clearer outlook for everyone involved.

"Goodnight. Get well, okay? Henry will want to see you first thing tomorrow and hey, you never know when Storybrooke will need their hero."

Emma plasters on a closed-mouth grin. "Yeah."

_That seems to be the only thing I'm good for around here anymore, _she thinks.

The door clicks shut behind the woman. The echo from it sounds in Emma's ears for many hours afterward, robbing her of any sleep or rest she might need.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

Despite an upped dosage of pain medication and forcing her eyes closed many times over the next few hours, slumber never comes. She looks up at the clock on the wall.

_1:14 a.m._

"Screw it," she mumbles and pulls the blankets back.

She opens the cabinet in the corner of the hospital room and pulls out some clothes. Obviously her mother had sent her father to retrieve them upon her less-than-graceful arrival at the ER. She looks down at the IV in her hand and takes a deep breath before pulling it out herself. She grabs some napkins from the bathroom and presses down on the spot until it stops bleeding.

"Fuck!"

_When am I going to stop hurting myself for that woman?_

Emma pulls her clothes on quickly and laces up her boots, having to stop every few seconds due to her head swimming from all of the medication.

When she's fully dressed, she stands and carefully opens the door. She checks down both sides of the hallway before tiptoeing out. Right now, at this moment, she wishes Regina would have taught her invisibility.

_Regina._

More determined than ever, she sneaks her way past nurses and doctors, stopping only to breathe once she reaches the elevator. She knows it's probably not the smartest move, but she just can't risk taking the stairs. If she does, she may not make it to the next floor and, ultimately, to Regina.

_Ding._

Her breath catches in her throat. She closes her eyes, willing herself undetectable. She exhales sharply when a little old nurse waddles into the elevator, offering her a sweet smile.

"Hi," Emma smiles back.

The nurse nods, presses the already-illuminated button for the lobby, and settles in beside Emma.

_Ding._

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

_Mills Mansion… 1:00 a.m._

Regina rolls over and closes her eyes when she feels arms wrap around her, pulling her naked body flush against the warm one she just spent hours discovering.

"You're amazing," he whispers into her hair before placing a small kiss on the back of her head.

She takes a deep breath and holds it in a moment before answering. "You, too."

It's only a matter of minutes before she can hear his deep and rhythmic breathing against her body. She tries to relax, tries to fall asleep, but she can't. This is insane. She has her heart back, the man of her dreams, her destiny, in bed with her, and she just spent the last three hours making… _lo-_ having sex with him. She should be floating right now. She swallows hard and looks down at the tattoo on his wrist, letting her fingers reach out and trace it ever-so-softly. He stirs a bit at her touch and rolls over, his back to her. She silently thanks the gods and slips out of the bed, knowing she probably won't be sleeping tonight.

Downstairs, she begins making a pot of coffee. She figures if she's going to be up all night, she might as well be fully awake. In this moment, she wishes Henry and Roland were here to provide some kind of distraction, some kind of excuse, should the sleeping man upstairs wake to seek her out once more. She leans back against the island in her kitchen and sighs. Why does Emma Swan have this power over her? To make her doubt herself, her decisions? Not just with Henry, but with her love life as well? Was Emma's time of torture ever going to end or was it going to slowly drive Regina into a deliciously maddening state of unraveling?

She jumps when she hears a light knock on her front door. Her eyes quickly dart to the clock on the wall.

_1:50 a.m_.

She knows who it is… and she's furious. She ties the knot tighter on her robe and stomps over to the door, flinging it open.

"Ms. Swan!"

"Hi," Emma croaks, almost doubled over.

Regina grabs her arm and pulls her inside.

"What the hell are you doing here? You're injured!" she whispers, looking outside as if to check if anyone saw Emma on her doorstep. She spots the yellow monstrosity parked on the road and silently curses herself for leaving it at the hospital earlier.

"I—"

Emma stops and takes in her appearance. Steel grey robe just barely covering her well… "assets," swollen lips, sexed-up hair. The longing in Emma's eyes quickly turns into disgust at the realization of just what happens when one Regina Mills gets her heart back.

"You what?" Noticing her eyes and the hurt look in them, Regina wraps her arms around herself, almost ashamed.

"I think I need to talk to you."

Regina sighs and shuts the door gently.

"In here, so we don't wake Robin," she motions towards her study.

Emma's stomach turns again. She doesn't know that she can handle this. What the hell was she thinking coming here anyway?

"You know? Never mind. This was a bad idea. It's really late." She shakes her head and steadies herself against the wall.

Regina turns to face her with what Emma might consider pleading in her soft brown eyes.

"I should just go get Henry from Archie's and take him home. This," she motions between the two of them "can wait." She dares a glance towards the upstairs where she knows _he_ is.

"Emma, please…"

Without a response, she turns on her heel and walks out of the house and back to her car. Regina rushes to the window and watches her hobble down the driveway towards the curb. She should stop her. She should run outside, tell her to wait, ask her what she needed to talk about. No. She can't. She knows what she was going to say… mostly.

And how? Because she feels the same way? No. She can't, right?

She refuses to hurt anyone else and going after Emma, learning the truth, validating her suspicions, would do just that. She watches her start the car and her taillights fade down Mifflin Street before going back into the kitchen.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

"_It's 2:00 a.m. Happy early Saturday morning, Storybrooke. We're back on the air! No wickedness to report thanks to the bravery of our—"_

Emma switches off the radio and drives through town in silence, the voices in her head enough to keep her company-unwanted company, but company nevertheless.

She stops when she reaches Archie's loft. She wants to go in and get her son, the only comfort she seems to have anymore, but it's 2 o'clock in the freaking morning. She knows how Henry is about his sleep and, besides, Robin's kid is there as well. She should just wait a few more hours. Picking up her phone, she begins to dial her mother's number, but stops. If she's not actually having the baby right now, she's probably asleep. Maybe she should just go back to the hospital and, at the very least, be with her parents. She leans her head against the steering wheel and groans. Her body is in tremendous pain and, in this moment, Emma is feeling much like her twelve-year-old orphaned self. She just wants to be numb, feel nothing, sleep.

"Booze." She states as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

She suddenly perks up and shifts her car into drive, making her way towards the only place in Storybrooke open at this time.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

"Sheriff Swan! What brings you to The Rabbit Hole tonight? Up for another round of fighting off the evils of Storybrooke?"

Emma smirks halfheartedly before taking a seat on an empty barstool. _Evils. Regina. Regina fucking Mills._

"Or maybe just a whiskey," he offers with a laugh.

"Neat."

The bartender nods and pours her drink. "A double, on the house."

She nods, holding up the glass towards the man, before killing it in one shot.

It doesn't take long before the locals are swarming around her, singing her praises, and buying her more drinks. Her head is spinning from all the attention, all the noise, all the alcohol. But finally… finally she's numb. Physically and emotionally void of any feeling. For now. Wanting this feeling to last as long as possible, she holds up her now-unfilled glass.

"I'm empty!" She slurs.

Those around her cheer and motion for the bartender to pour another. She smiles. She's their savior. This is good. This feels nice. This feels…

"Emma?!"

Someone is calling her name. She wills her eyes to open, but they won't. She tries to move her limbs, her mouth, but they don't. She feels water splashing in drops on her face, but she can do nothing about it. Is this the alcohol? What happened to the bar? To her adoring fans? To the praises of the savior? She lets her mind drift away again, her body settling into the hard surface beneath her.

"EMMA!"


	5. The Waiting

_**A/N: After beginning this chapter, I got to about 5,000 words before I realized I should find a good stopping point and just leave the rest to Chapter 6. What was originally planned as just seven chapters is growing quite rapidly! Also, if you're interested in being a beta reader for this story, send me a PM.**_

_**Chapter 5: The Waiting**_

"_What the hell have you done?" _

It's the last thing she remembers hearing. She cracks her eyes open, but the bright fluorescent lights above her force her to shut them again.

"Emma? Are you awake?"

"I think so," she grunts.

David reaches out his hand and puts it on top of hers before giving it a gentle squeeze.

"What happened? How did I end up back in the hospital? And why is the room spinning?"

He can't help but to laugh a bit. She sort of deserves that much.

"You were found in the alley beside The Rabbit Hole early this morning."

"What?!" Her eyes finally open completely.

He nods a bit. "Apparently you had too much of a good time after escaping the hospital against doctor's orders to rest here for a few days."

He puts on his best disappointed Dad face.

"Oh," she groans, the pain in her head finally being noticed. "Why were you at The Rabbit Hole?"

"I wasn't."

"Then how did I get here? Who found me… in the alley?"

"Regina."

She groans again, this time rolling over to face away from her father. Why did she have to pull such a dick move last night? She should have just left everything the way it was. Regina is finally happy now. What right does she have to ruin that by attempting to make some sort of half-cocked confession of love? Hell, she doesn't even know if that's what she's feeling anyway. And why would someone as gorgeous and intelligent as—

"Wait. Did you say Regina found me?"

He nods.

"Why the hell was she out that late and at that shit hole nonetheless?" She's now sitting up, her legs crossed underneath her, head in her hands, desperately trying to stop the pounding ache there.

"That's a good question, but I'll let you ask her that. I just popped in when they said you were beginning to stir."

The beat of Emma's heart picks up a bit. Is Regina still waiting here?

She allows her eyes to slide to the cracked door before pushing the brunette from her mind (for now) and focusing on another. "How's mom?"

David can't stop the huge grin spreading across his face. "You have a baby brother, Em."

Emma gawks at him, then mimics his broad smile. "Really?" She whispers excitedly.

"Yes. Whale said you can come see him once you get your strength back up. Or maybe we can bring him down."

"Yeah," she gestures, "that'd be awesome!"

He kisses the top of her head and slips out, a goofy grin still plastered on his face.

Emma smiles warmly and settles back in the bed. She may feel like absolute shit right now, but damn if she's not excited to be a big sister. She thinks about it all for a moment and then gets a familiar empty feeling in her chest.

She waits a few moments, almost expecting Regina to come through the door and lecture her about being safe, drinking, having a child, and anything else she might think of on the fly. When no one comes in, she reaches over onto the stand beside the hospital bed and grabs her phone.

Dead. _Of course._

Using the hospital phone, she dials Archie's number.

"Hello?"

"Archie! Hey, it's Emma."

"Oh, Emma. Are you okay? We've been so worried about you."

She laughs a bit. "I'm okay. Just had a little too much fun after my great escape last night."

"So I heard."

"_Is that Emma?" _she hears a feminine voice in the background.

Emma closes her eyes and holds her breath, hoping the brunette doesn't take the phone.

"Archie, can you bring Henry over to the hospital? I'm sure he wants to meet his uncle."

"Mary Margaret had the baby?"

"Mmhm."

"_She had the baby," _Archie says to the obviously-populated room he's in.

Emma can hear Henry and Roland's excited chatter as well as a murmur from Regina.

"We're on our way, all of us!"

Before Emma can protest, Archie hangs up.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

"He's so tiny," Emma smiles, letting her baby brother wrap his fingers around hers.

David stands over the two of them, still amazed.

"_Charming_, you're hovering," Mary Margaret scolds from her wheelchair on the other side of the bed.

"Sorry." He sits down in the chair, but slides it about three feet closer to the bed to be closer to his children.

They all look up when they hear a soft knock on the door.

"Ma!"

Emma watches as Henry bounds into the room. She signals for him to quiet down, nodding her head towards the serene baby in her arms.

"Oops," he smiles, walking gingerly over towards the bed where his family is.

Emma watches him look in awe between her and the baby, obviously unsure who to ask about first. She pops her head up towards the door when she hears someone clear their throat… not that she needed to look to know exactly who it is.

Regina's heart hitches on a beat seeing Emma in the hospital bed, the small baby boy wrapped up in her arms, her smile bright and genuine. This must be what it was like when her Henry was born, save for the family all gathered around. She suddenly feels her heart drop into the pit of her stomach, knowing she was the one who caused Emma all that pain so long ago. Still, and despite her desire to be and seem irritated with Emma, she can't pull her eyes away from the blonde and the baby in front of her. There's something so perfect and familiar about it all.

"Regina, hi," Emma says, handing the baby to David, who has been anxiously waiting to get his hands back on him.

"Hello," she says flatly as she makes her way further into the room.

Mary Margaret looks between the two of them and back to David.

"We should get back to the room and feed him. Henry, would you mind?" She asks, gesturing towards her wheelchair.

Henry looks at Emma. "Yes, go, go. I'm fine."

"See you guys later?" Emma questions. She almost wants to beg them to stay. She knows the inevitable conversation with Regina is not going to be pretty.

"Of course, sweetie. Get some rest."

And, with that, she's left alone with _her. Again._

It doesn't take the older woman a second after the door clicks to close the distance between her and the foot of the hospital bed.

"Do you care to explain what was going on in that dense skull of yours last night, Ms. Swan?"

Emma rolls her eyes.

"Regina, I need to rest. The doc—"

"What?" She muses. "The doctor said for you to stay in bed? Perhaps you should have listened to that order last night before driving across town to my house, then getting trashed and passing out in a dark, dangerous alley!"

"Why, Mayor Mills, if I didn't know better, I would think you were concerned about my well-being," Emma retorts, perhaps a little bitchier than she had planned. But she's quickly growing tired of playing this game.

Regina doesn't even answer that.

"Why did you show up at my home last night?"

Of all things to be worried about, this was the argument she was choosing?

"Oh, I'm sorry if I ruined your fuckfest."

The brunette's eyes grow unnaturally wide. Emma immediately regrets what just spilled from her stupid mouth.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

Regina's nostrils flare as she tries to settle the anger rising in her body.

"No. You didn't interrupt anything, actually. We were finished," she raises an eyebrow, obviously taking a jab at Emma.

Emma's jaw sets rigidly, not unnoticed by Regina.

"I was just out of it. Too much medication," she finally answers calmly.

"Hm."

"What?"

Regina shrugs. "Nothing. Why did you go to The Rabbit Hole after?"

"Why did you?" Emma responds, narrowing her eyes at her.

Regina's mouth opens, but nothing comes out at first.

"I didn't _go_ to that place! I was just out, driving."

"Why?"

"I don't have to answer to you, but if you must know, Ms. Swan, I couldn't sleep and just needed to clear my head."

"About what?" Green eyes are now boring holes into brown ones, challenging, begging.

_Silence._

"That's what I thought."

Emma reaches over and turns the overhead light off and wraps herself up in the blankets, turning away from Regina. She hears her exhale, then the click of her heels across the floor, going away from her. Emma looks up towards the ceiling, willing the tears not to fall to her face. She sees a slight purple mist enter the room before she hears the door close softly.

She's confused for a minute, but then realizes that the room is no longer spinning and the pounding in her head has subsided… Regina must have just used magic to heal her. She hadn't even noticed that Regina's ankle was no longer taped up. She must have gotten her strength back. Sure she did, being that she probably spent all last night on her back. Emma cringes again and rolls over, thankful to be alone in the dark room once again; her only company a steadily beeping monitor.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

Regina hurries out of the hospital, to her car, to the safety of being by herself. When she slides onto the leather seat, she lets out the breath she had been holding since she left Emma's room. She puts her car in reverse and pulls out of the garage.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. She wasn't supposed to feel like this. Robin was her destiny. The lion tattoo. She was supposed to be happy, blissfully happy. Instead, she feels even lonelier than before. It was everything that Emma hadn't said that was now crawling under her skin, making its way to her beating heart and ripping it apart, fiber by fiber.

What brought all of this on anyway? She scoffs aloud. She knows. She and Emma almost died trying to save each other. It always seemed to come down to that, one of them risking everything for the other. And for what? What did Emma think she had to gain by always being Regina's savior?

Nothing. _Absolutely nothing_.

It hits Regina like a ton of bricks. Any time she had come to the aid of one of the Charmings or, hell, even just one of the townspeople, it had always been for selfish reasons or for her son. But Emma? No, Emma just did it. Just for Regina, with absolutely nothing to gain and with no ulterior motives.

She grips the steering wheel tighter, causing her knuckles to fade to white. She had been genuinely worried about Emma last night. When she saw the blonde sprawled out on the wet pavement, she had practically screamed her name, praying that she would stir, show some sign of life before she could reach her. And there it was again—the realization that she might not ever know what Emma wanted to talk about when she had been standing in her foyer… _the things Emma hadn't said._

Why the hell won't she just say it? Get it out?_ Regina, I care. Regina, I love you. Regina, I want to be with you. Anything!_ Maybe then, just maybe, Regina could face her own feelings instead of forcing them back down her throat whenever they threatened to reveal themselves in the blonde's presence. There's no way she could be the first to tell Emma how she was feeling. She wasn't even sure those feelings were real at this point. What if she had been totally wrong and Emma really didn't feel that way at all? What if it was all just a product of the trauma they both had experienced and Emma was now coming to her senses about it all?

"Ugh," she growls, slamming on the brakes.

She turns the car around and heads back towards the hospital.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

Emma drapes her arm over Henry's shoulders and it suddenly hits her how tall he has gotten. She smiles softly, then sadly. How will she tell him that she wants them to go home, to be a normal family again in New York?

Should he choose to stay in Storybrooke, would she be able to go back without him? On the other hand, could she really see herself staying here with the constant reminder of what she can't have slapping her in the face every single day?

She forces her thoughts back to the scene unfolding before her—her parents smiling down at their newborn, her son beside her. It's almost too good to be true. She's losing her resolve.

"Henry, could you give us just a minute?"

He looks up at her, a little worried, but then nods. "Sure. Change for a soda?"

"Oh, kid," she laughs, handing him a few dollars.

"Thanks, ma!"

She ruffles his hair as he rushes past her and out of the room. Her parents look up at her curiously.

"Is everything okay Emma?"

"No."

Mary Margaret hands the baby over to David and sits up, eyeing her daughter. She motions for her to have a seat on the bed, but Emma doesn't move.

"We're going back to New York."

"What?!"

"Yeah." She just nods as though it's the most natural, obvious thing in the world.

"Why, Emma? Why would you do that? You're home. With us. We haven't even named your baby brother yet!"

Emma laughs a little. Leave it to her mother to think of that at this moment.

"Regina will kill you. I mean literally, Emma. She will, if you try to take Henry."

Emma swallows hard. "Yeah, well. I'm willing to risk that, I suppose."

"Did you forget about the whole Evil Queen thing?" David scoffs.

"Actually, Dad," she hesitates. "She's the reason we're leaving. Well, the reason I'm leaving."

They look back and forth between each other and Emma, obviously perplexed.

"I'm going to let Henry decide if he wants to stay. I don't want to, but what else can I do? I can't just take him away from Regina. She is his mother, after all."

"Yes, but so are you. You shouldn't make him choose. And why would she be the reason you're leaving? Everyone is finally getting their happy ending."

"Oh, are they?" She asks sarcastically.

"Are you not happy, Emma? I just thought maybe you and Hook were—"

She puts her hand up, stopping her mid-sentence. "No."

"Well, you don't need a man to make you happy, you know?"

She accidentally laughs out loud at that. _Nope, definitely not a man._

"Mom, Dad… I'm just going to say this one time and I don't want any discussion or lecture, okay?"

They just stare at her.

"Okay?!"

"Okay, okay. What is it, Emma?"

She shoves her hands into her back pockets and looks down at her feet, taking in a huge gulp of air.

"I think I'm in love with Regina."

She can feel both sets of eyes burning into her. She looks just in time to see her mother's mouth begin to move.

"Ah! You agreed!"

Mary Margaret's mouth snaps shut as she steals a glance towards her husband, who is frozen.

Luckily for Emma, she hears the door clicking open. She exhales and smiles at her son struggling with the handle, his drink, and her change.

"Hey, kid," she says a little too cheerfully.

"Mom wants you to meet her as soon as possible in the parking garage."

"What?" She snaps.

He nods, taking a sip from his drink. "She was standing outside the door when I went to get my soda. I thought she would come in." He shrugs. "I guess she didn't want to interrupt. She just left."

"Oh, god."

Emma rushes out of the door and down the hallway. This is bad. This is really, really bad.

"What's with her?"

David and Mary Margaret cover their faces with huge, fake smiles in an attempt to mask their discomfort.

"Nothing. Now, tell us, how was New York?"


	6. A Good Reason

**Sorry for the delay, pals- been busy job-hunting! This chapter was the most difficult to write so far. I considered making chapter 6 another SQ back-and-forth thing, but I figured five chapters of that was enough for you guys! ;) As always, reviews are welcomed and appreciated! Enjoy!**

_**Chapter 6: A Good Reason**_

It only takes Emma ten minutes to scour the four floors of the parking complex. Leave it to Regina to make everything so impractical. Finally, on the dark, basement level, she spots it—her car. She slows to a walk when she nears the Mercedes. She can see Regina's outline—her back to her. She steadies herself, not really knowing what to expect or how much Regina might have heard.

"Ms. Swan."

_Gulp._

"Regina, look, I can explain."

"You damn well better be able to," she demands, finally turning around.

Emma's heart breaks. She can tell she has been crying.

"I don't know what all you might have heard back there, but—"

"Stop," she flails her hand in front of her face, her face sobering in an instant.

Emma nods and obeys. She watches the older woman crinkle her brow in thought.

"I don't blame you."

"You don't?"

"No."

Emma takes a step towards her. She's not really sure what to do next. Are they going to fight? Is Regina going to kill her? Is Regina going to cry again? In front of her? God, she hopes not. She doesn't know if she could live through that.

"I'm sorry, Regina," Emma breathes, offering her hand out.

Regina shakes her head from side to side, rejecting the gesture. "You shouldn't be. I understand."

Emma's hand falls. "But Henry…"

"Yes, I know. It will be his choice. I heard as much. I guess I should thank you for that?" The bite in Regina's voice is enough to bring Emma to her knees.

"I don't know what I'll do if he stays," Emma admits, barely above a whisper.

Regina finally looks into the eyes across from hers. "And I don't know what I'll do if he goes."

Emma can't help herself when tears begin to spill down Regina's cheeks. She reaches up and wipes them gently. Regina cowers away as though she's been burned by the touch, but Emma isn't deterred. Instead, she cups the other woman's cheek tenderly.

"Please don't cry."

"Emma, it's not just Henry. I—I don't want you to go either," Regina exhales, her eyes searching Emma's face for some sort of response.

"Huh?" is all Emma can manage. Her hand falls away from Regina's face and back down to her side.

"Just…" she shakes her head "Forget it. I know how you feel Emma. I can't say that I don't feel the same way, but—"

"But you can't say that you do, either?" Emma sighs knowingly.

Regina nods, her mind promptly settles on Robin, but her eyes never leave Emma's.

"So I don't blame you for wanting to go. In your situation, I, too, would run. I almost wish I could now," she scoffs. "I'm the last person you should want to be with, Emma. I can't return your love. Not now, not ever."

Emma's heart is breaking. But, despite the fact, she achieves a brave face. She knew this is how this conversation would go should they ever have the chance to have it. This is no surprise to her. That's why she's going home. Part of her wants to tell Regina everything—how, ever since she came into town, she has been enamored with the woman… from her condescension and biting remarks to her surprising warmth and brilliant smile. And there was nothing that Emma would not do for her. She had proven that time and again. Regina, on the other hand, was new to this whole "being loved" thing. It had been a pleasant surprise from Robin, but from Emma? Well, that was just totally unexpected, but a beautiful breath of fresh air and a sudden realization that she had untapped feelings for the blonde. It was terrifying, to be honest.

"I wanted to meet the baby, you know?" Emma smiles timidly, changing the subject.

Regina sniffles a bit and straightens up and, in that moment, is thankful for Emma's pigheadedness.

"He is quite cute… to be a Charming."

"Hey!"

They're silent for a beat. Emma, fearing it could be her last opportunity to do so, reaches out to pull Regina into an embrace, but, just like them being together, it is not to be.

Both women step away from each other and look across the pavement when they hear the steady pounding of footsteps. The intrusive sound grows louder and louder until they see Belle running towards them, visibly distraught.

"Belle? What's the matter?" Emma asks, putting her hands up to stop her from barreling into them.

"Oh, thank god. They said you'd be here. The dagger… it's gone," she exclaims.

"What?!"

"This morning, when I got up, Rumple was nowhere to be found. I had this awful feeling, so I went to where I keep the dagger and it was gone. The heart, too."

"The heart? Whose heart?"

Emma tilts her head back, groaning and rolling her eyes. "The other fucking heart. Of course."

"WHOSE HEART?" Regina asks again, ready to murder the other two women.

Emma turns back to her. "Remember me telling you that, when I saved your heart, that there was another one as well, that I didn't take?"

She nods. Emma looks back towards Belle for her to continue the story.

"Apparently Rumple took it, as well as the dagger, when you all defeated Zelena. He had given the dagger to me and, at first, I refused, but took it because he seemed so sincere. I placed it in a locked box in the library."

"And the heart?" Regina grates out, the young woman really starting to piss her off.

"Right, the heart. I don't know who it belongs to. He had it when he got back to his shop. He told me he was going to find the owner. I didn't think he would ever just take off with it."

Regina shakes her head. She knows Gold better than that. "Whoever the heart belongs to, Zelena was trying to control. And now, it seems that Rumple may be as well."

"What would he gain from doing that?" Emma asks, looking thoroughly confused. She's mentally kicking herself for not at least trying to take the other heart. "What could he possibly want with a heart?"

"Me," Regina says, biting down on her bottom lip. "With the curse broken and my mother and sister both out of the way, I am the last thing stopping him from total control."

"But he wouldn't," Belle whispers. She can't make herself believe that her reformed lover would return to his dark ways.

"Trust me dear, he would. And he will."

Emma's face contorts. Now what? The woman she so desperately needs to get away from is, once again, in need of her assistance.

"No, Emma. Don't even think about it. I can handle this. Belle and I will start in the shop."

"Regina—"

"No." She takes a deep breath, her face stern. She motions for Belle to get into the car and steps towards Emma, placing her hands on her forearms. "This, at least, gives me a good reason to send Henry off with you, to protect him from whatever Gold has up his sleeve."

Emma can't deny that it's a pretty good cover, but still. Is now the time to walk away? _She does have Robin,_ her mind reasons, much to her heart's dismay.

"But they won't buy it about me. I'm the savior."

Regina rolls her eyes and smiles, almost imperceptibly. "It's not like I can send Henry to New York alone, now, is it?"

Emma nods a bit. She has a point. "Okay," she finally manages. At least, this way, she is spared the humiliation and Henry won't hate her… _much_.

Regina slides into the driver's seat and starts the car, pulling away from Emma and the hospital.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

"_But she's the savior," Henry had, of course, offered._

"_Even heroes have their limits, Henry," his mother had said to him, squeezing his hands tight, hoping that someday, he'd understand just what those words meant._

"What do you say kid? Back to your friends, the city, Roberta's pizza, early morning summer soccer practice?"

He looks between Emma and Regina, genuinely torn.

"We can come back whenever, right? To visit? And mom, you can come see us. Grandma and grandpa, too?"

"Sure," Emma says, trying her best to sound sincere.

"I'll still have my memories, right?"

Emma looks to Regina, questioningly. She knows what would be best, but she also knows Henry won't agree to it if he will forget Storybrooke.

"Of course."

He begrudgingly nods. He'd be lying if he said he didn't have a good life in New York. He had Emma, lots of friends, a nice home, and pretty much anything he could ask for. On the other hand, this place was magic, in every sense of the word, and a small part of him was hoping that both of his mothers would find their happy endings here. He had watched his adopted mother transform from the uptight, demanding mayor with flashes of evil to his hero, one of the good guys. And she was happy now. She had a new, blossoming relationship as well as another little one to look after. His birth mother, though, was not happy here and he could tell it. He had known it from the moment he and Emma got back into town. He wouldn't be the one to stop her from her own happy ending and if it wasn't here, in Storybrooke, then it just wasn't. And he would do whatever it takes to make sure she gets it.

"Then it's settled," Emma breathes a sigh of relief mingled with the sadness of finality. "We'll leave at sunset."

"And Emma?" Regina lowers her voice.

"Yeah?"

"Try not to fall in love with any flying monkeys this time, okay?"

Emma shakes her head, a smile spreading across her lips. She wonders, momentarily, if that was a hint of jealousy she heard laced in Regina's voice. Either way, she's thankful for her trying to lighten the mood.

"I'll try."

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

"Are you alright, darling?"

Regina forces a smile over her shoulder. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Robin walks into Henry's old bedroom and kneels in front of her, taking the picture of a young Henry out of her hands before holding them tightly.

"We'll figure this out, okay? And maybe Henry will change his mind and stay?"

Robin would be lying to himself if he said that he wasn't at least a bit happy to see Emma Swan leaving town. She, after all, was a constant divisive factor in everyone's lives here. He hadn't been around when she came storming into town the first time, but from the stories divulged over pints at The Rabbit Hole, she had made quite the mess as she attempted to earn the love of her son and break the curse. And even now, she took away a large percentage of Regina's attention, much to his dismay. Henry, though, he would be sad to see go… if only for the pain it was causing the woman in front of him now.

"He'll want to be with Emma. I know that. He wouldn't leave her."

"I don't understand how he could turn his back on the woman who raised him for most of his life. Emma just blew into town and completely wrecked his mind."

She can tell that he's trying to be sincere, but those words make her want to lash out, tell him he's wrong. But she doesn't. She has accepted this defeat before. Only this time, it hurts much deeper.

"I'm sorry. I spoke out of anger for your pain."

She just nods and sniffles a bit before letting him pull her into his arms and back onto the bed. She leans her head against his chest and takes a deep, calming breath, willing her tears not to deceive her strong façade.

_Silence._

She waits a few moments, pressing her ear closer to Robin's chest. Still, nothing. She jerks away from him, sitting stiffly upright in the bed.

"It's you," she whispers, her eyes glazing over.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

If there was one thing Emma Swan took pride in, it was her ability to say goodbye quickly and efficiently, with no loose ends or lingering feelings. Her life in the system had given her that much. But here, in this place, with these people, she was struggling.

Regina had filled her in on the situation with Robin. Emma had, in her usual way, questioned her about her safety. She had been assured that Robin was harmless unless Gold had something more sinister up his sleeve. The idea made Emma hesitate and offer to stay a bit longer, but Regina had sworn she'd be able to take care of herself. Besides, this was her game—controlling hearts._ I survived decades without you, dear_, Regina had laughed.

Henry had taken his time, used the day to spend time with his grandparents, the new baby, Archie, Granny and Ruby, The Lost Boys, and some others. He had promised them all he'd come visit soon and that they could come stay with him and Emma in New York. He had told them he'd show them the Statue of Liberty, his neighborhood, Central Park, and even take them ice-skating at Christmas, much to Emma's chagrin. That's the last thing she needed… a bunch of ragamuffins wreaking havoc under her watch.

She nudges him playfully after he waves a final goodbye to the crowd now gathered at the town's border. This was all too familiar. She feels like this had just happened days ago when Regina had sent her away with her memories the first time.

"Go wait in the car, kid. I'll be just a second."

Henry begins to walk off before he stops and turns back, running full-speed to Regina. There are no words. They just hold onto each other like it's the last time they'll ever be face-to-face.

"Mom, Dad."

Mary Margaret hands the baby over to Archie before wrapping Emma in her arms, crying against her shoulder.

"You'll come back soon, right, Emma?"

Emma fake-smiles and nods. This is too hard. Is she really giving up her parents just because of one woman? Was it really worth all that? This would be so much easier if she had never met her parents and was just running away from another bad relationship or family situation like she had done numerous times in the past. She truly hopes, though, deep down, that she'll see them again sometime. Somehow.

She whispers her goodbyes to them, then walks over to her newborn brother. She kisses him gently on the forehead. "See ya around, kid."

"Neal," David smiles, putting his hand on her shoulder.

Emma looks up at him, her mouth open. "Neal?"

"Yeah."

She looks back down to the peaceful infant. "You take care of these two, okay, Neal?" She rubs the back of his little hand and forces herself away.

She waves her goodbyes to the rest of the crowd and finally turns to leave.

Regina, having finally pulled away from Henry and sent him to the car, walks silently from the group and closer to the town line. Emma follows, only turning around once more to take everyone in.

The two women turn to face one another when they're standing inches away from the border.

"Come with us," Emma finally blurts out as though she had been holding it in for ages.

Regina's eyes widen. Her heart speeds up as she briefly considers the proposition. "You know I can't."

"Why not? Now is the perfect time. You can escape this mess, have a new start, a new family… with us. We'll come back here as often as you'd like. And there, no one will have ever known you as evil or bad or anything. You'll just be you, just Regina. With your son and your… me."

Emma's heart and soul are in tangles right now and she's grasping at straws. She thought maybe her leaving, maybe this last-ditch effort, would make Regina change her mind. It's not like they had spent months professing their love to one another, but that wouldn't really be Regina and Emma at all. No, this hatred, brewing over the years, with flashes of camaraderie and understanding had blossomed into something neither one of them needed to label. And Emma foolishly thought that would be enough.

Regina turns back towards Robin and it suddenly makes sense to Emma. She doesn't want her. She is choosing him.

"His heart, I—"

Emma nods and swallows hard, unable to stop the single tear that slides down her cheek.

After staring down at her feet for what seems to be an eternity, she finally manages to speak again.

"I don't want to remember," she whispers.

"Emma…"

"No. You don't get to decide this, okay? Before we left the first time, I had all these weird feelings for you. I didn't quite understand them. I guess it all really hit me in Neverland. It didn't happen again until Hook made me remember in New York. I didn't realize until then how good it felt to be numb, to not think about you. That's when I knew I lo—" she stops suddenly, praying that Regina didn't hear that. "Make me forget, Regina. As much as it hurts me and as unbelievably beautiful as you are, I don't want to ever have you cross my mind again."

She watches those warm brown eyes frost over before they fill with water. She has to look away. If she could do it with a clear conscience, she'd leave with Emma right now. But would it even work out? They hadn't even fully admitted how they felt about one another. But Regina never thought that Emma would want to totally wipe her out of her memory, out of her heart.

"Are you sure?"

"I think it's for the best," she clenches her jaw, trying with everything in her not to buckle.

"Everything? Your parents, your friends? And Henry, too? You want me to take his memories?" Regina chokes out.

She nods.

"But why, Emma? Why Henry? I can't fathom him not remembering me again. Please don't-"

Regina is crying openly now, her hand gripping Emma's upper arm tightly.

"Pull yourself together," Emma spits, not wanting her parents to think any more of her previous confession. She knows if they thought her love for Regina was the only reason for her leaving, they'd find a way to stop her.

"I can't, Emma. I can't just let him walk away and not remember me. Please?"

Brown eyes plead desperately with green ones.

"Fine, Regina. But give him time. He needs to remember how good his life there is. I'm sure there's something you can do," Emma finally gives in, not really thinking about what she's saying. The only thing she wants to do right now is get in that car and drive as fast and as far away as she can. That's what she was born to do. Emma Swan, the runner.

Regina nods, trying to wrap her head around something that might work. Then it hits her.

"The book."

"What about it?"

"He has it, right?"

"I'm sure he does… can we hurry and do this?"

Emma is quickly losing her resolve. She doesn't want to leave her family behind. She doesn't want to give Regina up this easily, but she can't take this pain. Ever since she and Henry returned to Storybrooke, she had planned to take him back home. That was until she had become able to put a tag on her feelings for Regina.

No. No more. They had a good life there. Henry was happy. She was… well, she was okay. It certainly didn't feel like this and, right now, that's all she wants—to not feel like this. No worries of consequence.

Regina closes her eyes and mouths something in a tongue Emma doesn't recognize before she unrolls the small scroll she had been gripping in her hand. Her eyes search Emma's for hesitation once more. When she finds none, she dejectedly whispers the enchantment, causing a swirl of purple smoke to float from the scroll and hover near the town line.

"Go," she whispers, turning her back to Emma.

She steals one more glance towards the town, towards their sad faces, before spinning on her heel and crossing over the border.

Regina pushes her way past the crowd, past Robin, and enters a sprint to her car. She needs to be alone right now. This pain is unbearable. Mary Margaret and David share a knowing glance, their faces falling simultaneously. It all makes sense now.

"She's gone," she whispers, the realization that Emma has no intention of ever returning to Storybrooke digs into their chests as they cling to one another. And it's partly their fault. They had given her up; they had instilled this desire to run, to escape, in her so long ago.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

"You did finish your breakfast this morning, right?"

"Yeah, mom! You don't remember? 'Make sure you eat everything, kid! We've got a lot of driving to do'," he mimics, earning a spirited prod from his mother.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure. Sorry my mind has been a little in and out the past couple of days. That case had me rattled."

Henry nods.

"Thanks for taking the trip with me."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get back home! You know I have soccer tomorrow."

"Like I would forget. You know your old mom's memory is sharp as a, uh… what's the expression?"

"Sharp as a tack," Henry laughs, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, that. Now take a nap or something," she jokes, eyeballing the _Now Leaving Maine_ sign. "We've got a long drive."

"Next stop, New York!" He yells, shimmying down comfortably into the car's seat.

"Home," Emma whispers, then smiles brightly at her growing boy. She couldn't imagine her life being any more perfect than it is in this moment.


	7. I'm Okay I'm Fine

I am so very sorry for the delay, friends! Since it has been a while, I had to go back and re-read my other chapters to make sure there were no continuity errors. Because I made you all wait so long, I extended this one a bit. Hang with me, Swen. The next chapter will leave you with more hope, I promise! We'll get there. Thanks for the reviews and favorites!

_**Chapter 7: I'm Okay. I'm Fine.**_

Regina's desperately trying her best to block out the pain in her chest. It's twisting her insides, making her stop every few seconds to place her palms flat somewhere, anywhere, and catch her breath. The first time wasn't like this. It was bad. It was losing Henry and someone she considered near to her heart. This time, it was her entire heart she had let go. She hadn't realized just how much Emma meant to her until they were standing together at the town line earlier. Sure, she was starting to understand and even beginning to recognize her own affections for the blonde, but love? She had never even fathomed the idea until that day. She closes her eyes tightly, willing the hurt away.

"_Come with us."_

The words echo in her head, causing her mind to short. She loses track of time, track of everything (and everyone) around her, her thoughts an ever-building pile-up crashing loudly over the muted voices around her.

_Regina? Are you okay? What are you doing? Where are you going? Do you need me to drive? Do you want to be alone? Do you want to talk about it? When are we going to talk about it?_

By the time her head clears, she's laying in her bed, fully dressed. She doesn't remember how she got here or how long she had been asleep. She groans when she tries to move. Her entire body is sore and her throat feels like she has swallowed nails.

"You're awake," calls a soft voice from the doorway.

She drops her head back to the pillow and closes her eyes, begging the knot in her chest not to rise to her throat again. Not in front of him. Not in front of anyone.

She opens her eyes wide and releases a forced exhale before sitting back up.

"Yes. I'm awake."

Robin moves into the room and closes the door behind him. She doesn't move. She doesn't even look at him when he sits on the edge of the bed, his back to her.

"Regina, I—" He stops when he feels her arms wrap around him and her head on his shoulder. Right now, in this moment, she just needs something to tether her to reality. He puts his hand on top of hers and squeezes before turning around to face her. His eyes search hers for something that neither of them are quite sure she can give him right now—an explanation.

"You should eat," he offers, simply. She's thankful he's not asking anything more right now as she's sure she is going to have to have the discussion about herself and Emma sooner rather than later.

She smiles weakly. "Thank you, but I don't have much of an appetite at this moment."

He nods and takes her hand to place a feather-light kiss across her knuckles. "Come downstairs?"

"Shouldn't we get to work finding Gold?"

"We'll start that tomorrow. Tonight, you need rest. And, in the morning, we'll all go down to the police station and…"

Robin keeps talking, but she doesn't hear anything after "police station." The corners of her mouth begin to twitch and her eyes well up with fresh tears. She swallows hard. She doesn't want to cry anymore. Not for Emma. She walked away. She professed her love, albeit not to her directly, and walked the hell away. So, instead, she cries for Henry.

"Okay?"

"What?" She sniffles. "Yeah. That, uh… that sounds okay."

He pulls her in once more and kisses her forehead before exiting the bedroom.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

By the time Henry and Emma get back to their apartment, they are both exhausted.

"You hungry?" She asks, opening the refrigerator door.

"Nah. I think I'm just going to go on to bed."

She nods, trying to stifle a yawn. "I'm not far behind ya on that one."

She takes out a freezer dinner and kicks the door closed.

"What's this?" She pulls at a sticky note stuck to the stainless steel.

"Oh. That's the lady who called last week about the job you applied for. She called again before we left."

Emma crinkles her brow. She can't recall anything about applying for another job. She isn't exactly unhappy with the one she holds now.

"O—kay."

Henry takes his jacket off and hangs it up on the rack, heading towards his bedroom.

"Oh, hey. Go ahead and check your pockets and throw that in with the laundry so I can get everything from the trip washed up."

He groans, but does as his mother asks.

Emma leans her back against the kitchen counter and reads over the note again. The name seems vaguely familiar, but she can't quite place it—she's too tired to think too hard about it right now.

She's drawn out of thought when the microwave dings, signaling that her less-than-nutritious meal is ready to be consumed.

"Hot, hot!" She yells, throwing it down on the bar. She laughs a bit. She's not the most graceful person on the planet. Or in this city. Or even in this apartment, if she's being truthful.

She gives the plastic containing her food time to cool off before walking to the couch. She pulls her knees under her body and sits, flipping the television on while she polishes off her midnight snack. Her mind, though, is still very much focused on the yellow piece of paper with Henry's scrawl on it in the kitchen. Why has her memory gotten so bad lately? She makes a mental note to pick up some Gingko Biloba when she's at the market again… not that she'll remember anyway.

As usual, Emma wakes up on the couch around 3:00 a.m. and drags herself to bed. It is sort of her ritual—when she is actually home at this time and not working a case, that is.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

3:00 AM STORYBROOKE

_I thought she would stay. I thought she would fight._ She scoffs at the absurdity. _Fight for me. Why?_ But then again, Emma had always done just that.

Regina pushes a trembling hand through her unkempt hair and studies herself carefully in the mirror in her foyer. She had given up sleep hours ago, crept from her dark bedroom, and had been pacing the floor on the first level of her home.

_Her home with Henry._

Now, it was just an empty shell, trapping a very lonely and heartbroken woman inside its walls while a certain gallant gentleman slept soundly in that very same woman's bed upstairs. She wants to feel bad, wants to reach out to him for comfort as much as he wants to provide it, but she just cannot bring herself to do that. Not yet, anyway. She really just wants to be alone, but couldn't find a way to tell him that after he had held her so closely and whispered security into her ear as she lay restless in bed just hours after she had let Emma and Henry go.

She runs her hand over her face and backs away from the mirror, sick at her own reflection. Steadying herself on the handrail, she travels back up the stairs. This time, she walks right past her bedroom door and enters Henry's room. Not bothering to close the door, she pulls the blankets back and climbs in, holding his pillow close to her body, then using it to muffle the sounds of her weeping.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

The next morning, Emma has the hardest time pulling herself out of bed. She feels like she hasn't slept in ages. She's knocked from her exhaustion-induced haze when she hears something crashing in the kitchen. She quickly jerks on her robe and rushes out of the bedroom.

"Henry?!"

"Sorry, mom. I—I'll clean it up."

"You scared the crap out of me," she gulps, her hand over her heart.

Henry smiles, a bit amused, and bends down with a rag to clean up the milk he just knocked over.

"What have I told you about the soccer ball in the house?"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I just got bored waiting on you to get up."

"Yeah, well… I'm up now. Watch out," she orders. "Let me clean that glass up. I don't want you to get cut."

After breakfast and swapped jabs about being clumsy, Emma is dropping Henry off at soccer practice.

"We're late," he scoffs, seeing everyone already divided up for a scrimmage.

She regards her watch. "Oh, calm down. It is 9:08. We are literally eight minutes late." She slows the car to a stop. "I'll be back at 12:30. Be thinking about what you want for lunch."

He doesn't say a word, just nods before running off with his bag to join the already-running practice.

Back at home, Emma starts going through the paces of her usual Saturday morning. Laundry first.

She walks into Henry's room to collect the pile she's sure has just been thrown into a corner rather than into his hamper. She's a bit confused when she doesn't see the dirty pile in its usual spot. She smirks and shakes her head as she puts his suitcase on the bed and starts pulling stuff out of it, throwing the laundry into the hamper and unloading the random souvenirs and knickknacks he either took with him or acquired on the trip. Of course he didn't unpack last night. She couldn't really blame him, though, it was a long drive.

She picks his jacket up off of the floor. "Ugh, Henry," she groans, feeling something in the pocket.

She pulls out a small, colorful stone before holding it up to the light, examining it. "What the heck is this?" Shrugging her shoulders, she puts it in her pocket, figuring she can just ask him later. With Henry, there is no telling.

Holding a pile of other newly-acquired keepsakes, she forces his closet doors open with her hip and rolls her eyes at the mess. He had definitely inherited her careless gene. Even in her foster homes, she was notorious for being messy. Now that she had an apartment that she paid for herself, it was a different story, but she definitely remembered getting reprimanded for moldy cups more than once. She cringes.

She makes a space as best she can for the small pile in the corner, kicking various things away with her foot. Extra soccer balls, an air pump, shoes, his favorite—

Crouching, she moves a sweater from over the top of the book. She smiles and runs her hands over the golden lettering. "Once Upon a Time," she beams, her mind going back to reading these stories to Henry. Up until he was nine, she was made to sit in his room every night at bedtime and recount the stories of Snow White, Prince Charming, and, Henry's personal favorite, the Evil Queen. At one point, she was able to spout them off by memory. It had only been a couple of years ago that he lugged the massive book out and sat down beside her on the couch one afternoon, inquiring about the stories within once more. Only that time, he had been much more intrigued by the technicalities of spells and potions rather than true love, fight scenes, and noble knights, asking more than once about certain ingredients which were fabled to be used.

_If I ever meet the Evil Queen herself, I'll be sure to ask all about her alchemy,_ Emma had laughed.

Now, it was just another book, tossed haphazardly in his closet, buried beneath his more "grown-up" belongings. Still, it held a special place in Emma's heart. With a soft smile, she takes the book into her arms and places it on top of his laundry. Maybe she and Henry can stroll down memory lane later today.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

10:00 A.M. STORYBROOKE

Regina wakes with an awful pain in her neck. She had obviously gone to sleep tensed up and was feeling the effects this morning. She groans and attempts to work the kink out manually to no avail. Exasperated already, she swishes her hand in the air before a hearing a loud pop. She finally sighs in relief. Typically, she wouldn't use magic for such trivial things, but she just can't bring herself to care at this moment. She stands and another swing of her hand finds her clean and dressed for the day. She doesn't know if she can hold her body up long enough to shower properly right now. She checks herself indifferently in the mirror before descending the staircase.

"Good morning."

"Where's Roland?"

He notices the sadness in her voice. "I've already dropped him off with Mary Margaret and the baby. She volunteered to keep watch of him while we worked on locating Rum—Mr. Gold," he corrects himself.

"Call him whatever you wish. He's still a twitchy little urchin who deserves nothing less than the gallows, no matter the name."

Robin raises an eyebrow over his mug of coffee, but says nothing. He knows better. Her exit from their bed last night and the scowl on her face tells him that now is not the time to make small talk or find amusement in her quips.

It's only a matter of minutes before they are walking out of the house and entering her car together. Destination: sheriff's office.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

In her New York City apartment, Emma is dialing the number from the post-it note. She knows it's a long shot since it's a Saturday, but her curiosity has gotten the best of her. She steps away from the whirring of the washing machine when she hears someone answer on the other end.

"Good morning, New York County District Attorney's office. This is Marla speaking. How may I direct your call?"

"Uh, uhm, hi."

"Yes, hello. How may I direct your call?"

Emma clears her throat. She's an idiot. "Sorry. Hi. My name is Emma Swan. I received a call from this number a few days ago about a position?"

"Oh, yes! Good morning, Ms. Swan! I've been expecting your call," an overly-cheery voice chimes.

Emma pulls the phone away from her ear and grimaces. Who is really like this so early in the morning?

"You have?"

"Mmhm. We received a call from upstairs, the District Attorney himself requesting you, by name."

Emma's eyes widen in shock. Even if she can't remember all the particulars about this matter, she's impressed. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound dense or ungrateful, but how did he get my information?"

"While I am not fully aware of every detail, he apparently received a call from some 'higher-ups' on the federal level, if you know what I mean, about your qualifications and experience along with some really strong references."

Again, she pulls the phone away, utterly confused. _What the hell,_ she mouths, before putting the phone back against her ear. "Okay, may I ask what the position is?"

"Senior Rackets Investigator. So would you be able to come in Monday morning at 9:00 to meet with him?" The woman never slows down or allows Emma any second to speak.

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Is there anything I need to bring with me or that I need to prepare for?"

"Apparently you just being you is enough," the chirpy woman giggles. "You'll need three forms of identification—preferably your birth certificate, license, and social security card. Passports are also acceptable in lieu of one of the aforementioned forms. If you have a curriculum vitae, that would be helpful as well. When you get to the office, you'll check in with the security officer at the front desk. You'll need only to give him or her your name. At that point, you will enter the elevators and go up to the seventh floor. There, you will check in with the human resources receptionist who will scan your identification for your temporary badge before being escorted to the DA's office."

"Okay." She jots everything the woman is telling her down. "Annnnd his name?" Emma bites down on her pen, waiting.

She hears the woman chuckle incredulously. Although Emma was a bounty hunter in the city, she rarely got involved in the cases or trials after she got paid. She was the delivery woman, that was all. "His name is Gabriel Estrada." She pauses, allowing Emma to write it down. "Be proud, Ms. Swan. It is very rare that Mr. Estrada interviews anyone himself. He usually hands that task off to one of his many assistants."

Emma gulps at that last part. What had she done to earn this and what would she do should she actually be offered the job? She did, after all, have Henry to think about.

"Great. Thank you."

"No, thank you, Ms. Swan. We'll see you bright and early Monday morning."

Emma just hangs up. She has no idea what the hell is going on. Sure, she had handled a few perps in some pretty big cases and had an extremely high success rate, but she never knew anyone was really paying attention. She had been working on her own for most of her life. She enjoyed the liberty of freelance work, but had to admit she hated its inconsistency. There wasn't always work and even when she did have it, there was always a chance she wouldn't be successful… which means she wouldn't get paid.

The buzzer from the washing machine sounds, bringing her back to reality. She quickly loads the clothes into the dryer and darts over to her computer, pulling up her search engine and typing in "Senior Rackets Investigator." She scans over the information nervously. She doesn't meet every single requirement, but she comes pretty damn close. Her heart beats fast when she catches the line about compensation. Salary: $88,000+ DOE. She blinks to clear her vision, making sure she read that correctly. Yep. Almost 90 grand. In a successful busy year, she'd do well to pull $60,000 and, honestly, in New York City, that was chump change. Her bills alone ate up most of that, leaving her very little in the way of savings or "spending money."

She's hesitant about working in Harlem, but it's not like she can turn this interview and job, if she is offered it, down. From the description, she would be mostly out of danger, sitting at a desk the greater part of the day. Is that really what she wants, though? She has always been bad-ass Emma Swan, bail bondsperson. But perhaps it was time she "settled down" and "got a real job." She had heard those words from Henry before—either when he had been upset about her unusual hours or when he was trying to coax her to date more or to produce a younger brother or sister for him. She smiles thoughtfully. She's glad she finally has someone to look out for her. Henry has been the only male in her life she can truly count on.

"I guess this means I'll need to buy a suit," she groans just before shutting her laptop. She hates suits.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

"So…" Robin starts as they reach the main intersection of town.

Regina doesn't answer vocally, but responds with a shrug.

"Zelena and…"

She tenses. She knew this conversation was coming, but she didn't know how soon. She guessed, for Robin, a day had probably felt like an eternity.

"I don't know," she answers. Honestly, that's the best she can get her head around everything right now, so it's not totally a lie or a cop-out.

He nods and pauses, thinking about his next question carefully.

"And Emma? Is it true what the Wicked Witch said? _Your_ savior?"

He watches her fingers grip the steering wheel tighter. He knows he should probably stop, but he also feels like he deserves to know the truth about the potential of another suitor in her life, despite the claims of pixie dust leading them together.

"I had never thought of Emma Swan in that manner, no." Another perfectly-politician evasion. It's all in the technical arrangement of the sentence, she tells herself.

"So you're not upset she left?"

She finally looks at him, silently cursing the red traffic light in front of them.

"Of course I am upset she left," she whispers angrily. "She took my son."

_Slipped past another one,_ she thinks. In this moment, she hates Emma enough for taking Henry away (even if there was some tiny "reasoning" behind it in Gold's disappearance), but she hates her even more for what happened-or didn't happen-between the two of them. And, to be honest, she hates herself a little as well. She should have talked openly with Emma, told her that she had feelings as well, feelings she had never really thought to label before Emma had done so.

Thankfully, Robin accepts her answers and is silent until they park in front of the sheriff's office. "Take your time. I'll be right inside."

Regina nods, gratefully, as she turns the car off. "I'm okay. Really, I'm fine."

When the passenger door opens and closes, the chilled air from outside quickly replaces the warmth from the heater. It sends a shiver down her spine. Looking at the door to the office, she realizes it must be more than the cold air causing goose bumps to fleck her skin. She reaches for the handle and pauses, inhaling deeply, shakily. She reminds herself she can do this. She has to do this. They need her to do this. It was, after all, the "reason" she sent Emma and Henry away, finding Gold, uncovering his plan. _Gotta keep up appearances. Can't let anyone know. _She steps out onto the pavement and walks slowly towards the station, her head held uncomfortably high, rigid. She pulls back as if she has been burned when she touches the metal of the door. She closes her eyes and shakes her head.

_Here goes._

She grabs the door again, this time gripping it hard in her hand. In the main hallway, she takes a moment to take in the charged atmosphere and to prepare herself. _One step at a time._ She can do this. She rounds the corner, passing the locker rooms. _It's just the sheriff's station. _She takes another few steps and eyes the sign that reads "office" with an arrow. _Just the sheriff's chair_. She nods to herself reassuringly when she hears David's and Robin's voices around the corner. _The sheriff's desk, the sheriff's—_

As soon as she feels eyes on her, she stops in her tracks.

"Emma," she whispers.


	8. Changes

**A/N: So, so, so sorry for the lengthy delay. But, I got a job! Big thanks to OCD ADD Goldfish for the feedback and for letting me bounce some ideas around! Also, to the guest who suggested the Haim song: yes! I loved it and I've added it to my SQ playlist. To my other guest reviewers, I wish I could respond to your ideas. They're all taken into account when I write! I must admit I am out of my comfort zone writing about magic… the rules/no rules thing gets me, but here we go!**

* * *

_**Chapter 8: Changes**_

She grabs the door again, this time gripping it hard in her hand. In the main hallway, she takes a moment to breathe in the charged atmosphere and to prepare herself. _One step at a time._ She can do this. She rounds the corner, passing the locker rooms. _It's just the sheriff's station. _She takes another few steps and eyes the sign that reads "office" with an arrow. _Just the sheriff's chair_. She nods to herself reassuringly when she hears David's and Robin's voices around the corner. _The sheriff's desk, the sheriff's—_

As soon as she feels eyes on her, she stops in her tracks.

"Emma," she whispers.

Although she knows it can't be real, she sees Emma everywhere she looks… from standing beside her (figuratively and literally) when she was behind those bars to snacking on sugar-filled treats with her feet resting on the desk.

Robin and David share a glance—both eyes filled with pain for the woman, but one set definitely not as soft as the other. Robin clears his throat and takes a step towards her, his hand outstretched.

Her mouth moves up and down, but no more words come out. When he's standing completely in front of her, she snaps to, startled.

"I'm sorry. I must have—"

He merely nods as he takes her hand in his. He doesn't need her to explain and he wouldn't want to make her that uncomfortable in front of anyone else by bringing it up. Putting on a brave face, she takes deliberate strides with him towards Emma's desk—the same one she found herself perched upon not long after the infamous blonde had become her employee. Unwittingly, a small smiles teases at her lips. She wasn't a fool. She had seen the way Emma looked at her, the way her eyes wandered and trailed down to her chest and to the hem of her skirt. Of course, at that time, propping herself haughtily on the desk while taking her skirt up a few more inches than necessary was most definitely a power play of the more domineering, impersonal, sexual nature. If she had only known then that she was playing with fire. She lets her mind wander a bit… what if Emma hadn't backed down? What if she had strode over to the mayor, taken her right there on the desk? Would Regina have rejected her? She subconsciously shrugs, not knowing the answer to that question. Or if it would ever matter.

"Where's Belle?"

"She's a bit, uh, emotional about everything. We decided to wait and speak with her tomorrow once we have an idea of what Gold might be up to."

"Oh."

She makes it a point to not sit at Emma's desk or in her chair. Instead, she sits at the desk directly behind it, finding comfort in being off of her tired legs.

"So here's what we know," Robin begins. He flops down unceremoniously in Emma's chair and reaches behind him to open the drawer and grab a pen.

Regina closes her eyes and has to refrain from telling him to stop. While that would certainly be embarrassing, she's not quite convinced she's ready for any of Emma's things to be moved or removed yet. She pulls her attention slowly back to Robin and purses her lips as she scans over the paper he's scribbling on.

After listening to the two men go back and forth about what they knew or _thought_ they knew, Regina finally has had enough.

"No offense, but you two are the ones who got lost in the woods that day. You, who lived in the forest and you, who have been living here for close to thirty years." They both look away. "Hand me that."

Robin obliges and watches her dark, cold eyes flash over the document.

"Neal." She hates the way his name forms in her mouth now, though she can't pinpoint exactly why.

"What?"

"Gold is going off of Zelena's plans of time travel to bring Neal back," she says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But he doesn't have your heart," David chimes in, looking rather confused.

Regina lets her eyes float to Robin's. "No," she drawls "but he has his."

This time, Robin joins David in furrowing his brow, his eyes examining Regina for some sort of elaboration.

"Apparently your heart will suffice… or at least he thinks it will."

"Why?"

She holds a hand up, using a finger to recall each ingredient. "Wisdom, courage, love, and innocence. His own mind and your sword," she begins.

David looks down in contemplation, then slowly back up at Regina. "And Zelena was going to use _your_ heart? _For love_?"

She rolls her eyes. "Is that so hard to believe, _Charming_?"

"Well, quite frankly, yes."

She ignores that last comment and continues. "Now, he has your heart. Evidently he reasons the heart of the only person who could ever love the Evil Queen must be adequate."

Robin's face falls. Even with the void in his chest, he still feels for her. He can't fathom the pain she must be in right now. If anything ever happened to Roland, he wouldn't want to live anymore. His mind immediately goes back to their past year in the Enchanted Forest and how he witnessed Regina at her lowest point—well, until now, that is.

"He must be off in search of some semblance of innocence," she shrugs.

Both men's eyes grow unnaturally wide as they remember they have small children in the care of a woman who, at this time, was practically incapable of defending anyone should she need to.

"Go," Regina states authoritatively.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

"Finally," Emma sighs, putting the last of Henry's clothes away.

She jumps in the shower and freshens up before going to retrieve him from soccer practice. She's both nervous and excited to tell him about the job interview. Their life in New York had always been relatively peaceful on the outside, but she often battled with feelings of inadequacy when it came to parenting. Perhaps this new job would do the trick.

She can't help the smile plastered to her face when she sees him running towards her from the field.

"Hey! How was it?"

"Great! Look!"

He holds up his leg and moves his shin guard out of the way to reveal a mess of smeared blood and green grass.

"Oh, nice," she laughs, her head moving up and down.

Henry hadn't always been the most athletic or social, but in the past year, he had really started to come out of his shell and make friends.

"Yeah, Sinclair tried to make the steal, but his cleat caught the top of my guard, ripped the skin right off," he says proudly, his eyes dancing.

"Henry…"

"Yeah?"

"Just get in the car."

He mimics her toothy smile and throws his bag into the back seat before sliding into the passenger's side. Emma gives him a minute to catch his breath and relax before she begins.

"So, since Monday may be the start of me keeping normal hours, I thought we'd spend the day together tomorrow. Ice Cream Factory, starchy, fattening lunch, maybe the pier?"

"Really?"

"Of course, but we can't overdo it. I've got to keep my awesome figure, y'know?"

After he thoroughly rolls his eyes at his mom, he shakes his head. "I didn't mean _really_ to that. I meant really about keeping normal hours."

The hope in his voice makes her heart flutter a bit. "Yeah, kid. Actual normal, adult hours. Home at night and most weekends."

"So this means you called them back? You got the interview?"

"Yep."

He nods and turns back around in his seat. "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

After a few long moments of sitting in silence amidst Emma's things, Regina finally has the willpower to pull herself from the chair. She swallows the lump in her throat as she approaches Emma's desk. She never noticed the "ES" carved into the side. Must have been done during one of those terribly boring days she always complained about. As if on instinct, she reaches out and lets her fingers trace the carved wood.

Why now? Why not then? Had Emma been feeling this way all along, struggling with it? Sure, Regina had moments of wondering what their relationship truly meant. She often found herself pondering whether or not she actually hated the savior as she claimed to. She lets out a heavy sigh. No, she didn't hate her. Never did. From the day they met, they had walked the line between agitation and admiration, but never hate.

Regina is looking over Emma's work, shaking her head over her handwriting. She smiles sadly. By this time, she figures, Emma is probably preparing for the job interview Regina had set up. She had overheard Henry talking about Emma's job in New York before he got his memories back. He always seemed so sad or worried about her not being home enough or being unsafe.

She also remembers him talking about Walsh with excitement in his eyes, and then sadness as he would recount their sudden breakup before they left to come to Storybrooke. Regina, purely out of curiosity then, had questioned him about it. He told her that his mom appeared genuinely happy and that he just knew Walsh was going to propose. At the time, Regina had felt some sort of pang in her chest, but chalked it up to Henry having a different family in New York which didn't include her. Now? Well, now she understands all-too-well exactly what that pang had truly meant. She had been jealous. Subconsciously, she guessed, she didn't want Emma with anyone. Anyone else, that is.

She glances up at the clock and sees that she has been standing in quiet contemplation for far too long. Robin and David are going to be wondering what is keeping her. She knows she should have rushed out behind them, eager to protect the remnants of Storybrooke, but right now, she can't find it within herself to care all that much. She replays the last day in her head for a few brief moments, then swiftly grabs her purse and the paper with Robin's scrawl on it and begins to walk out of the office.

_**Ring, ring, ring.**_

"Not now," she growls, taking another few steps.

_**Ring, ring, ring.**_

_Shouldn't this automatically redirect to David's cell phone if unanswered?_

She pauses in the doorway when she hears a long beep, followed by a loud crackle, then the annoying blonde's voice floating through the empty hallways.

_**Thank you for calling the sheriff's office, we're unavailable at this time. If this is an emergency, please hang up and dial 9-1-1. If not, please leave a detailed message and a callback number after the tone.**_

She wipes at hot tears that have made their way to her cheeks. It has only been a matter of hours and yet, she thought she would never hear that voice again.

"_Regina, if you're still there, all is well here. Roland and Neal are both safe and sound. We tried to reach you on your personal device, but there was no answer. Mary Margaret and David have invited us for lunch. We can further discuss Gold's plan. I await your arrival."_

A small chuckle is forced through tears. She can imagine the confusion Robin must feel, talking into a piece of glass and plastic, expecting her to hear him across town. She collects herself quickly and makes a mental note to teach him how to re-record the office message as she walks out of the building and locks the door behind herself.

"Ah, your majesty," a smug voice sounds behind her.

Her face forms a disgusted scowl. She doesn't bother turning around. He must have been coming to look for Emma.

"Would you happen to know where the devilishly handsome captain of the most striking ship in all the lands might find a one Emma Swan this beautiful morning?"

Regina's jaw clenches as she squeezes her keys in her palms. If she weren't so irritated, she probably would have yelped in pain from the pressure. Feeling the familiar sensations of anger and magic rising within her, she faces him, annoyance clearly written across her features.

"She might as well be dead," she spits.

"My, my… and here I thought the two of you lasses were getting on quite well as of late. Made for quite an attractive pair, you two… if you know what I'm getting at," he winks, leaning in towards her.

Regina's nostrils flare and he knows he should back off, but in true Hook form, he pokes the bear some more.

"Turn her into a toad, did you? Or did you rip her heart out of her chest like the others?"

She feels the crackle in her fingertips and turns away for a moment, knowing he's smirking behind her, waiting for her to react. Instead, she takes a deep breath and turns again, a cold grin spreading across her face. _This_, she would enjoy. If nothing else_, this_.

"She left."

"What do you mean _she left_?"

"She took Henry and left," she says slowly, pausing for effect. "Moved back to New York, back to her _real_ life- one that doesn't involve murderous and leering pirates in cheap eyeliner."

She takes pleasure in seeing his face fall, the smugness that was there only moments prior replaced with hurt and confusion.

"Aw," she coos, feigning concern. "She didn't tell you she was leaving? No parting embrace? No lingering goodbye kiss?" She asks, her voice bottoming to its lowest level of disdain as her nose turns up.

Her stomach churns at the thought of him kissing Emma, but it's worth it to see him squirm.

"Bloody hell, do I have to rescue the savior yet again?" He gazes off in the distance as if he's planning on sailing to New York.

"No. She asked me to erase her memories before she left. Including the ones concerning you."

_That part._ That part hurts her the most, but gives her the most satisfaction when it comes to him.

"Now, if you don't mind, I've been invited to dine with Emma's family."

Without another glance, she enters her car and drives away from him and the station.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

**Mary Margaret's Apartment**

"Thank you," Regina says politely after finishing her lunch, "for inviting us."

"Are you alright?" The younger woman questions, tilting her head to the side.

Regina eyeballs her with a silent warning as she dries off one of the dishes she has just been given.

"Yes."

lacing her hands on the sink, she leans in a bit to check on the boys in the next room before continuing. "Are you sure?"

Regina pinches the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

"I said I—"

"Regina?" calls a tiny voice from the other side of the bar.

She motions for the little boy to come around to her before kneeling to meet his eye level. "Yes, dear?"

"Where's Henry?"

The two women meet gazes, the younger looking on apologetically.

Regina swallows hard.

"Henry is with Emma, sweetie."

"But where's Emma?"

"Emma is… Emma…"

"Emma is on vacation, Roland. She and Henry will be back soon," Mary Margaret finally offers upon seeing Regina struggling to appease the child.

Looking as if he is satisfied with the answer, he bounds back into the other room with his father, David, and baby Neal. The older woman makes sure Roland is out of earshot before standing again.

"Don't be such a fool," she barks.

"She'll come back. I'm sure of it." The pixie-haired woman is trying her best to sound confident. "As soon as this thing with Gold blows over, they'll both be back."

"Hm."

"What? Do you think her leaving has something more to do with you than with Gold?"

She regrets it as quickly as it came out of her mouth. She begins to apologize, but Regina puts her hand up between the two of them, dismissing the action.

"Keep your voice down," she whispers harshly, cutting her eyes towards her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that. I'm—we're _all_ on edge about them leaving."

"No. _I'm_ _on edge_ about my son leaving. And are you really so naive to think that Emma Swan, The 'White Knight', would take off in the face of danger?"

"I knew it. I just knew it. I tried to tell her."

"You knew what? Tried to tell her what?" Regina asks, turning to face Mary Margaret fully.

"That you didn't feel that way about her," she continues, still washing the dishes.

Regina scoffs. "And how do you _just know_ that, dear?"

"Because you're…"

"Go on."

Mary Margaret pushes the dish back into the sink and closes her eyes.

"Because you're evil!"

Regina smiles, satisfied- that cold, condescending smile she has perfected over the many years of playing the villain. She wanted to hear her say it. She had practically begged. She wanted to feel that fury again. At least it was something other than emptiness.

"You're evil and you'd only hurt her," she continues. "Emma deserves so much better than someone like you."

"Someone like me?"

"Yes! You're so happy being miserable that you probably couldn't fathom the thought of letting anyone else be happy! What am I saying? Of course you can't. You never could! That's why you sent us here to begin with!"

Regina's eyes darken and shimmer dangerously. Mary Margaret is treading on thin ice. The older woman takes a step closer, but she isn't backing down.

"If you must know, _Snow White,_ I do care about your daughter. Very much so. So much that I actually gave her what she wanted _again,_ despite it meaning I get NOTHING in return. I gave her a happy ending with MY son, away from here."

"What she wanted? Emma didn't—"

"She did. And you know what we were left with?"

Mary Margaret shakes her head back and forth, taking a step back from the boiling woman.

"Nothing but her memories."

"What?"

"Yes, dear Snow, your daughter, the one who professed to love me, the Evil Queen, high-tailed it out of her by her own choosing… another cleaned slate and off into the blissful sunset."

"You're not saying…"

"Is everything okay in here?" David asks nervously, placing his hands on his wife's shoulders.

She looks back and forth between the two, desperately trying to calm herself with deep, even breaths. The old Regina would have flung them across the room, out of her way. The "new" Regina simply excuses herself, her fists clenching and un-clenching involuntarily.

She storms down the small hallway, but pauses when she finds herself at Emma's bedroom door, wondering momentarily if it's locked. She checks over her shoulder first, then reaches out a hand and slowly turns the handle, trying not to make any noise. She clenches her eyes tight when the old wooden door creaks loudly. When she's sure no one is looking for her, she steps inside.

She knows she shouldn't do this. It's only serving as self-imposed torture- not to mention the man, her destiny, who is waiting for her in other room. But she continues anyway.

The force of being surrounded by Emma's belongings hits her so hard that she nearly doubles over, her left hand immediately clutching her stomach as she rests against the door that has just clicked softly shut. Her eyes drink in everything from the mug on her nightstand to the…

"Oh," is all that escapes from Regina's lips as she reaches for the red leather thrown haphazardly across the bed. She can't help it anymore. She had spent so long fighting this woman that she never realized she was fighting her feelings for this woman as well. And here, in the shell containing what is left of Emma's life in Storybrooke, it all hits her—hard. She cries. For Emma, for Henry, for herself, for Robin and Roland, and for David and Mary Margaret. It's all too much. How dare Emma just walk away from everyone? And for such a trivial reason. People fell in love all the time. And just as many times, people got hurt. It was no reason to leave your entire life behind. Not in Regina's mind, anyway. But maybe she just wanted it all. Maybe she hadn't grown. Perhaps she was still just the selfish evil queen everyone thought she was.

She puts the jacket back down on the bed and turns her head away from it, willing her mind and heart to push the blonde away.

"Enough," she whispers. "That's enough."

She takes a moment in front of the hallway mirror to compose herself, but listens as the three adults consider Gold's plan and Roland talks to the baby.

"Gold time-traveled to find Neal—it can be very dangerous. It could change the future."

Mary Margaret nods in agreement. "I guess the only question is if he would be blindly led by his heartbreak or if he would be cautious as to not hurt Belle."

"He won't stop until he gets what he wants, regardless of anyone else's feeling. He'll be after the product of true love, you can bet on it" a voice from down the hall sounds.

They all look up to see Regina making her way back into the den, wringing her hands nervously.

"Emma?"

"No. Her magic is far too powerful. He needs someone weak, someone vulnerable."

Mary Margaret practically ignores Regina, her nerves taking over. "She doesn't have magic there, does she? I mean, even if she did, she wouldn't remember how to use it, right?"

Regina shrugs. She actually doesn't know. "Magic is very unpredictable in these other lands. There is no way to know if she still garners it or has any recollection on how to use it."

"So what if he goes after her?" David begins to worry.

They want Regina to say she'd go to New York to protect her. But she knows that without the proper spell, she would be without magic in New York and rendered helpless to protect anyone. Emma, on the other hand, possessed light magic; magic that was much more powerful than any she had ever known and, if she had it there, she would be just fine.

"Not to offend, of course, but Gold is in search of innocence, purity. Obviously, Ms. Swan possesses neither of those," Regina smirks, a small satisfaction resulting from that jab.

Mary Margaret cuts her eyes at the former queen. "What are you suggesting, Regina?"

"_What I'm suggesting_," she mocks "is that Gold is no fool and would try to get to the baby before Emma."

The new parents exchange glances, worry anew for their infant.

"We need her back." Mary Margaret starts pacing. "We need her to remember and we need her back here."

Regina just raises an eyebrow.

"She's the only one who could defeat him. She's the only one who can protect our Neal. Regina, you've got to do something," David pleads.

"There's nothing I can do." She steals a glance towards Robin, who is remaining quiet. "She, uh... she asked me not to."

"I don't care what she asked you to do or not do. You have to do this. For all of us."

"I said there is nothing," she replies in agitated disgust, obviously over this conversation.

"So you're telling us that despite Gold already having Robin's heart and possibly going after little Neal or even Emma, that there's nothing you can do?"

"Can't or won't?" Mary Margaret grits out, looking a bit like the bandit she once was.

Back in the Enchanted Forest, David would have already had his sword drawn and pointed at the queen's chest with Snow standing protectively behind him. Here, in Storybrooke, they just look like some pissed off parents. Regina purses her lips and looks away, not impressed by their weak attempt at intimidation.

She takes a deep breath and looks at Robin. She's waiting for him to defend her or at least back her up. When he does nothing but nod, she exhales in defeat.

"There is a small- very small- chance I could get them back."

"What? How?"

"He, Henry... may be able to make her remember. If not, there's a catch in the spell that allows us to enter into their world for a very limited time."

"I don't understand."

"Of course you don't," she snarls at David as she reaches into her blouse and pulls out a small charm on a fine golden chain.

"What will that do?""

"This will let me know if Henry's memories return."

"Henry, too, Regina?!" Mary Margaret plops down onto the sofa in exasperation.

Regina bites down on her cheek, waiting for the dramatics to cease.

"When this charm signals me, I can go to Ariel."

"Ariel?" In true Charming form, they are showing no signs of catching on.

"Because she's the only one who can cross realms," she rolls her eyes. _Idiots._

"Oh, right!"

"Don't get too excited. It might never happen."

David's features go rigid once more. "What do you mean? You enchanted this, right? So, what? If Emma or Henry touches it, they'll remember?"

"It's not that simple."

"Can't you send Ariel with a potion like Hook had before?" Mary Margaret asks.

Regina wants to vomit at the mention of the one-handed wonder. "If you recall, I tried to replicate that potion before and couldn't."

"Well, then what do we do?"

In this moment, Regina wishes she had thought of something better yesterday. But she had to think quickly, throw some sort of catch into the enchantment, to the memories she was giving back to Emma. A small part of her wanted it to be left up to fate, though. She had no doubt that, in time, Henry, with the heart of the truest believer, would find his way back to Storybrooke, back to her. Emma, on the other hand, would take a lot more convincing. Regina didn't want to force anything on the woman she had already unintentionally hurt so badly. That's why she left the enchantment mostly up to chance, a serious of triggers.

"Well, it will be happenstance, really," Regina begins.

"As in?"

"Before Emma and Henry left, I made sure he had packed his book."

"The one I gave him?" Mary Margaret's face lights up.

"Yes. He also had, in his coat pocket, a protection stone. Should the items come in contact with each other, their magic will be strong enough to bring his memories back."

"Really, Regina? You couldn't have done better than that? Less complex, perhaps?"

"You're pushing it, Miss Blanchard," she warns.

David intervenes when he feels the air becoming thick again. "So the book and stone touch, Henry suddenly remembers, the pendant signals you, and you go to Ariel... and tell her what?"

Regina, thankful for the break in tension, continues. "I will provide her with instructions on how to retrieve my son." She leaves out the details and Emma on purpose.

"And Emma."

"Should she choose to come back, then yes, I suppose your daughter as well. But you should know I cannot and will not force her to do so."

Mary Margaret is no stranger to Regina's emotions and she can see right through them now. She knows the larger part of her heart is breaking for Henry, but there's a small part that aches for Emma as well.

"And in the meantime?" Robin finally breaks his silence.

"We do the only thing we can do. We wait."

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

**New York City, later that night**

"Come on, just one," Emma whines.

"Mom, no. I told you—I'm too old for fairy tales."

She puts on her best puppy-dog face and bats her eyes. "But I miss my little baby."

He pulls away, laughing, when she leans her head on his shoulder, nudging him and whimpering.

"Not even the one about the White Knight?" She calls out as he's taking his dinner plate to the kitchen.

"No way! The White Knight is a loser!"

"What?! The White Knight is the best part of the whole story."

He returns to the den, still shaking his head.

"Nope. Not even close."

"Okay, then. What about the Evil Queen?" She pulls her eyes wide, putting on her best scary face.

He shrugs. It would have worked on him a few years ago.

"Fine. If you don't want to be baby Henry, go put this up. And don't throw it back into the closet! I don't want it getting all banged up."

Feigning exasperation, he takes the heavy book from her and places it on the very top of his bookshelf, out of the way, just in case his mother started feeling nostalgic again. Besides, what if he had a friend over when the feeling hit? That would be embarrassing.

"Hey, I think I'm going to play my new game a bit before getting ready for bed. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure," she offers bitter-sweetly, a part of her wishing he had wanted to go back in time with her with the stories. She hadn't realized how much her son was growing up until today- making new friends, having things to do on weekends, and not really seeming like the child she had struggled to raise all these years.

Rising from the couch, she yawns and stretches before pushing her hands into her pockets. She figures she should go ahead and start getting ready for bed herself.

"What the—" she pulls a hard object out of her pocket. "Hey, Henry?"

"Yeah?"

"I found this little crystal-, rock-like… _thing_… in your luggage. Do you want to keep it?"

He pauses his game and meets his mother in the doorway, holding his hand out. "Uh, yeah, sure."

"What the heck is it anyway?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. Some sort of rock, I guess. I found it when we went to Maine. I thought it looked cool."

She raises a brow. "O... kay."

He shrugs, contemplates telling her to toss it for a moment, but then takes it from her and places it on his nightstand.

"Don't stay up too late, okay? Big day tomorrow."

"Yep."

She watches him jump back onto the bed and take the game controller in his hands.

"Goodnight, my little prince," she coos, earning a disgusted face from him before he chuckles a little.

"Night, mom."


	9. Loss, Luck, and Life

** Oh my lord. I am so sorry I haven't updated in like a year. My mom had some health problems and major heart surgery which took up about four months of my life. I also hesitated because I was very insecure about the quality of the story. But! After reading it again, I realize it's not too bad. So here ya go! It's a relatively short update, but I'm just getting back into the swing of things. I really hope to have chapter 10 up by Sunday. Stick with me Swen, SQ times are coming! I promise.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

"Are you awake?"

Regina rolls over and mumbles something, still very much asleep. Robin sighs and rolls over, planting his feet on the floor before rubbing his face roughly, then standing to stretch.

It has been five days since Emma and Henry left and nothing seems to be changing with Regina. She hasn't really eaten since then, hasn't been in to work, and definitely hasn't been keeping up her usually-immaculate appearance, only showering out of necessity... and Robin is at a loss. He doesn't know if he should stick it out and support her or tell her to leave, go find Emma, anything to make her happy. Luckily, the search for Gold has kept him too occupied to really dwell on it.

He walks softly across the hall and into the spare bedroom in which Roland now sleeps and finds him sitting atop the comforter, playing with some of Henry's old dinosaur toys.

"Hi, Papa!" He smiles and says cheerfully.

"Good morning, my lad. Did you sleep well?"

Roland nods and makes room on the bed for his father.

"Will you play with me?"

Roland stretches out his little hand to give his father the large T-Rex toy.

"Of course I will."

It's times like these Robin imagines them as a happy, complete family, though he knows it's all in his head. At times like this, he imagines Regina downstairs, making breakfast for them while humming happily. He smiles a bit and allows himself the luxury of getting lost in the daydream until a scratchy, hacking cough pulls him back to reality.

"Papa, is Regina okay?"

Robin swallows the lump forming in his throat and answers shakily "She will be."

His dark, innocent eyes search his father's. "She misses Henry."

"That, she does. You're very intuitive for one so young."

Roland grins and agrees as though he understands what that word means.

"Good morning."

The two of them turn their attention away from the plastic toys to the doorway where Regina stands, her arms folded over her chest protectively, her eyes red-rimmed and heavy.

Robin shoots his son an apologetic look before standing to cross the room to her. She puts her hands up to stop him.

"No. No, I'm okay. Spend time with him."

He places his hands on her upper arms and bends to be at her eye level. "You're sure?"

She nods and looks down at the floor. "Yeah. I'm just going to take a shower and get ready for work."

"Work? Are you su-"

"I need to."

"As you wish." He places a gentle kiss on her forehead and watches her go back down the hallway.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

_**New York**_

"Henry? Henry. Henry! HENRY!"

"What? I'm sleeping."

Taking a page out of his childhood playbook, she jumps up onto the bottom of the bed and starts bouncing up and down, saying his name over and over until he finally sits up, his hair a mess and his eyes barely open beyond a squint.

"Mom, you are so annoying. What do you want?"

She drops to her hands and knees, then rolls over to her back onto the pillow beside him and lays quiet for a moment. He watches a brilliant smile take over her face.

"What is it?!"

She finally rolls over to face him. "Well, I was thinking... what do you say about getting out of this cramped apartment?"

"Uh, sure? Where were you wanting to go?"

She flops back over onto her back and looks at the ceiling, feigning contemplation.

"How about somewhere outside of the city? Maybe a house? With a yard."

Henry furrows his brow, confused. "Are you okay? What are you talking about?"

The smile returns. "I got the job, Henry. They just called about an hour ago. I let you sleep as long as I could, but I was so excited to tell you!"

He stares down at her, his eyes wide.

"You got it? For really real?!"

"Yeah. I for really real got it. And I'll be making a lot more than I am making now. At least enough to get us a bigger place, a quieter place. More family-friendly, whatever that means."

Henry, ever the logical one, grows quiet. "But won't the drive be really far?"

She shrugs. "Not too bad. Nothing I can't handle."

"And what about my school?"

"Well, we could pay for you to stay in the same school or we could check out another."

He nods. "I guess that would be okay. But mom?"

She sits up when she hears his voice take on a more serious tone.

"Yeah?"

"What kind of dog will we get?"

She pushes him back down on the bed and starts to tickle him. "A dog?! Are you crazy?"

"Mom, stop it! Quit it. I can't breathe," he says through his laughter.

She abruptly stops her assault and grows serious. "Well, I've always liked dalmatians for some reason."

Henry raises an eyebrow. "A dalmatian, huh? I can deal with that."

The two lay back down on the bed, dreaming of all the things they will be able to do with a little more financial freedom. Not wanting to let the feel-good mood go just yet, Henry jumps out of bed and goes over to his bookshelf, stretching out to reach the very top.

"What's the matter?" his mother asks, sitting up on the side of his bed.

"Nothing," he smiles, turning to face her with the heavy storybook in his grasp.

She smiles fondly and pats the bed beside her. "Come on, little prince."

Henry rolls his eyes, smiling, and joins her on the bed.

"Once upon a time..."


	10. Panes and Plans

**Oh, look at me. Gotcha much sooner than I expected. :) I'm jumping a little bit of time here so we can get to the meat of the story. The next chapter will have the big reunion. So stay tuned!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

_Chapter 10: Panes and Plans_

_**New York**_  
"Alright, I guess we should get up and do something productive today, don't you think?"

Emma closes the book and watches her son shrug and snuggle down further into the blankets.

"Come on," she nudges him, looking over to the alarm clock. "It's almost lunchtime. What do you say we go out for some pizza, then maybe window shop some houses?"

His eyes light up at the suggestion. "Alright, alright. I'll get up."

"Good boy," she teases, ruffling his hair, and moving to place the book on his night stand.

He stops her right before it lands. "How about we put this back up there?"

She gives him a confused look, but agrees. "Whatever you say, Hen."

"And mom?"

"Mhm?"

"Try not to call me 'Hen' around any of the guys, alright?"

She grimaces and sucks her teeth. "The guys? Right, right. Oh, I see, you're trying to hide the book."

She stands on her tiptoes and pretends to reach for it, earning herself a swat on the arm. "...just in case one of 'the guys' were to come over and see..."

"Mom, seriously."

"What? You mean I can't have it out on the coffee table along with your naked booty baby pictures?"

She watches her son's face turn red. "Moooom."

"Alright! I'll stop. Go ahead and get ready. We'll leave in ten."

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

_**Storybrooke**_  
"What do you mean 'he's in the Enchanted Forest'?"

"I mean, brilliant Charming, that he is in the Enchanted Forest," Regina shakes her head. After going through what seemed like a million spells and potions, she finally got her locator spell to cross realms and was currently watching Gold with the rest of Storybrooke's finest through her enchanted mirror.

"Well, what's he doing?" Mary Margaret chimes in, bouncing the baby in her arms.

Regina leans in closer to the mirror, studying his movements. "It looks like he's going back to his castle."

"...look, now he's casting a spell!" Robin points out. Regina wants to roll her eyes because, yes, that's quite obvious. But she refrains. She knows her irritability doesn't stem from him, but from the situation at hand.

David folds his arms and leans against the wall in Regina's vault. "It looks like he's... is that- is that a phone?"

"Why in the world would he-?"

The entire group turns to face Belle, who is playing on the floor with Roland when her phone begins to ring in her pocket. She stands up, her mouth gaping. "What do I do? I-" She fumbles with the phone, her hands trembling.

Regina stomps over to her and takes the phone and waves her hand over her throat.

"Hello?"

Belle looks at her, shocked, as she hears her own voice coming from the woman standing in front of her.

"Rumpel? Is it really you? Where are you? Are you safe?" Regina rolls her eyes and bites back the bile rising in her throat. "The Enchanted Forest? Why? Rumpel, I don't understand."

She listens intently to his response, but before she can ask anymore questions, he hangs up. The group stares at her expectantly.

"Well, he's there. He sends his love. And he's probably not coming back."

Robin's face falls. His heart.

"Why do you say that?" Belle takes her phone back and kneels back onto the floor and Roland, but never takes her eyes off of Regina.

"There's been a change of plans. He's attempting time-travel, but not to where, or should I say when, we originally thought," she sighs, rubbing her temples in a rigid, circular motion.

Mary Margaret cocks her head to the side, looking like a confused puppy. "You mean he's not going back to try to save Neal?"

"Oh, he's going back alright, but he's going back to when Neal was just a child."

"What?!"

Regina shrugs. "Why wouldn't he? It's his second chance. He can attempt to prove to his son that he's not a coward and never let him go to a land without magic alone."

"I guess that makes sense, but what does that mean for all of us?" David walks to his wife and child and puts his arms around them protectively.

"We don't know for sure. Perhaps he never becomes the Dark One, he never teaches me dark magic, which means I never banish you all here, Neal never meets Emma..." She trails off as her pulse quickens. It hits them all at once.

"Henry."

Mary Margaret runs to Regina, reaching out to her, pleading. "You've got to go get them back. Emma is the only one who can fix this. She has to. If not, Henry could disappear forever."

Regina can't seem to function right now, even with Mary Margaret shaking her. Robin finally steps in between them and cups her cheek in his hand.

"You have to do this. For your son."

She nods, absently. "But- but, they won't know me. They don't know this place or magic. I've never even been outside of Storybrooke. I don't know what's going to happen. How do I convince Henry that I, a perfect stranger, am his mother?"

"Henry is the least of your worries, love. He has the heart of the truest believer. Go to him, he will remember. Emma, on the other hand, will prove to be most difficult. Young Henry will have to convince her, somehow, to come back here and find a way to stop Rumpel."

Regina slumps down onto the stone bench, pressing her hands in between her knees.

"You're right. I have to go."

Robin nods and turns to the group, gesturing silently that they perhaps need some time alone.

"I'll take Roland with me," Belle says, still obviously shaken from the phone call.

"Thank you," Robin replies as he kneels down in front of Regina and pulls her wringing hands away from her body.

"I will go with you. I will protect you with my life."

"No. No, you can't. You have no idea how the outside world works. Storybrooke was confusing enough for you. I can't ask you to do that."

"You didn't ask. I am offering my service."

Regina stands and moves her hands away from him, agitated. She puts them on her hips and paces around the vault.

"What do you think you are going to do? Pull out your bow when a taxi passes us by?"

She watches his mouth quirk into a frown.

"God, I'm sorry, Robin. This entire thing is a disaster. I'm not sure what the best next step is. And, as you know, I'm not very skilled at being vulnerable or helpless."

He puts his strong arms around her. "That's why I will go with you. We'll bring them back here, together. I promise."

She nods and rests her head against his shoulder, just thankful that she has something to physically hold her body up right now.

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

_**New York**_  
"What about that one?" Henry questions excitedly, his mouth full of pizza, as they drive through the community Emma has had her eye on for quite some time.

"Too small."

"That one?"

"Not enough yard."

"We don't really need much, Mom. It's just you and me."

She shrugs and smiles a bit. "I know that. I mean, for now anyway."

"Oh."

She glances over at him, then slows the car to a stop on a vacant side street.

"What was that 'oh' for? I thought you wanted a bigger family. Maybe a baby brother or sister?"

He doesn't look at her, just keeps on eating his pizza as though he never heard a word she said.

"Hen, look at me."

He finally sighs and drops the pizza back to the open box on his lap, chewing as he trails his gaze painstakingly slow across the windshield, the steering wheel, and then, finally, to his awaiting mother.

"I mean, I guess. Some day. Not anytime soon, though, right? I'd like for it to just be me, you, and the dog for a while."

She smiles warmly, her voice soft. "There's that hypothetical dog making another appearance. Of course not anytime soon. I don't even date, for crying out loud."

That perks him up. Because it's true. After her sudden breakup with Walsh a few months back, she hadn't even mentioned another potential suitor.

"Well, you could always adopt."

"That's true," she nods in agreement "and perhaps fitting, depending on who I decide to settle down with."

"Yeah. Mom, if that's the case, please don't adopt a girl. I don't think I could live with three women!"

Emma flashes him a toothy grin and a wink before pulling back out onto the main road. She's so proud of the young man her son has grown up to be. She had never explicitly said she was more attracted to either gender, but she had always been open with him about everything. And he was totally okay with it. He never stopped to question her even once.

They drive on for a few more miles, even further outside of the city before Emma comes to an abrupt halt.

"That one!" They both shout in unison.

They park the car quickly and jump out, crossing the road to the house's front lawn. Emma pulls the brochure out of the capsule attached to the "for sale" sign and begins to read aloud while Henry peeps through the windows.

"Built in 2002, two bedrooms, one and a half bath, full unfinished basement..."

"Man cave," he throws out, nonchalantly.

"Or another bedroom and bathroom," she laughs.

"That's boring."

"Yeah, well..."

She folds the paper up and shoves it in her back pocket, following Henry around to the side window, peering in.

"It definitely needs some updating."

"We can do that ourselves, right?"

"Sure. You have your contractor's license, right? Bonded? Insured?"

She hears him groan and nudges him playfully.

"I'm kidding. It looks like it just needs some cosmetic work. A woman's touch, if you will."

"Yeah, but where are we going to find one of those?"

"Damn. You got me. That one was pretty good."

"What can I say? I learned from the best."

Emma smiles proudly and hooks her arm in his. "Come on, kid. We'll see what we can find about this place online, then maybe give the realtor a call next week."

_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._

_**Storybrooke**_  
Finally being left alone, Regina can now truly test out her improvised locator spell. Sure, it had worked from Storybrooke to the Enchanted Forest, but both places contained magic. Its real test would come in seeing if it could locate those in a land without magic- say perhaps New York City.

She chews on the inside of her cheek as she douses Henry's scarf with the potion. She waits.

_Nothing._

"Come on," she pleads, dripping a few more drops of liquid onto the material.

_Nothing._

She throws the bottle across the room, smashing it into a thousand tiny pieces. Although her son has only been away from her for a little while, she is starting to panic. She doesn't know if she can deal with it as well as she did last time he went away from her. And if it hadn't been for Robin, she surely would have offed herself then. She can't lie now and say that the thought hadn't crossed her mind this time as well.

One defeated sigh later, she is making her way towards the exit of her vault when she feels something brush her arm.

The scarf.

"It worked! It's working!"

Rushing back to the other side of her vault, she gets as close as she possibly can to the mirror, willing it to show her son.

And she waits.

And waits.

And finally, two hours later, Robin is entering and telling her she needs to rest. She's hesitant, but finally gives in.

Just as she is locking the door behind them, she hears it. Henry's laughter.

She pushes the heavy door back open only to be grabbed from behind. "It will be here tomorrow."

She struggles against him. "No! What if it's not? I can't go. I can't risk it."

Her eyes plead with Robin's to let her go, which he eventually does, and she dashes back inside, smiling through her tears as she comes face-to-face with her precious boy.

Her fingertips gingerly touch the glass and trace his features. She knows it's insane, but he looks as though he has aged in the short time he has been gone.

"Henry," she whispers, finally taking a seat in front of the mirror.

Robin realizes it's a losing game and bids his goodnight to her.

Regina watches intently as Henry moves around the dining room, setting the table for two, talking with Emma.

_"Did you call the realtor yet?"_

_"No, Hen,"_ she laughs.

Regina feels her stomach sink.

_"Well, why not?"_

_"Well, how about first I actually spend at least one day on the job before we go spending all of this money we don't yet have. Besides, they're probably going to require some massive down payment that we'll have to save up for."_

Regina's face falls. She didn't realize they would struggle financially. Here, in Storybrooke, they always had more than enough.

_"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm just excited. That place was perfect."_

_"It really was,"_ she agrees, placing a large pan of lasagna down at the center of the table.

The brunette smiles wistfully. Of course they'd be eating lasagna.

_"If we do get it, how are we going to decorate? I think we should do like movie posters and maybe like comic book heroes or something cool."_

Emma raises an eyebrow and takes her seat, finally coming into full view.

Regina's breath catches in her throat. It all looks so natural, this life they have there. This life without her. They don't need her. Did they ever really need her?

She gulps audibly and turns away for a moment. She's not sure how much more she can take. She just really wanted to know he was alright.

_"We'll probably have to hire an interior decorator."_

_"A what?"_

_"You know, some fancy person to come in and tell me that I need exposed brick and industrial fans to be cool or something. Or maybe some weird giant horse statue in the foyer."_

Henry's nose crinkles up. _"Whatever you say, mom."_

Regina finally looks back at the mirror, a light bulb coming on in her brain.

_That's it._

So maybe she couldn't just barge into their lives and force them to remember her, but she could, just maybe, ease in, gain their trust, and convince them to return to Storybrooke.

Of course she could.

She was Regina Mills, after all.

...and she did always have an eye for design.


End file.
